Fighting Escalates in Sudan as RSF Seizes Military Facility in Sennar

CAIRO — Intense fighting erupted between Sudan’s military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the central province of Sennar on Sunday, marking a new front in a 14-month conflict that has brought the country to the edge of famine.

The RSF launched an offensive earlier this week, attacking the village of Jebal Moya before advancing to the provincial capital, Singa. The group claimed to have captured the military’s main facility, the 17th Infantry Division Headquarters, in Singa, but the Sudanese military asserted it had regained control of the facility. The accuracy of these claims could not be independently verified.

The U.N.'s International Organization for Migration reported that at least 327 households have been displaced from Jebal Moya and Singa. Residents described widespread looting by RSF fighters, who took private vehicles, mobile phones, and other valuables. The RSF also reportedly attacked Singa Educational Hospital, detaining patients and medical staff and turning the hospital into a military base.

The RSF has faced allegations of severe human rights abuses since the conflict began in April 2023, including in Darfur, where it has been besieging al-Fasher, the military’s last stronghold in the region.

The ongoing conflict has resulted in over 14,000 deaths and 33,000 injuries, according to the U.N., with activists suggesting the actual toll may be higher. The crisis has displaced over 11 million people and has led to severe food shortages, with warnings of impending famine affecting 755,000 people. Rights groups have reported rampant sexual violence and other atrocities, raising concerns of war crimes and crimes against humanity.