RSF attack in Sudan killed more than 25 civilians in North Kordofan, says medical group

An attack by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) killed more than 25 civilians in the Umm Badr area of Sudan’s North Kordofan state, according to the Sudan Doctors Network.

In a Saturday statement, the non-governmental network said a video circulating online shows RSF members executing civilians in the area.

The gravity of the incident is compounded by indications that the killings were carried out on ethnic grounds, under the pretext of accusing the victims of siding with the Sudanese army, the statement said.

“The unlawful execution of civilians constitutes a grave crime and a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and human rights standards,” the network said.

Targeting people based on their ethnic or social affiliation could threaten social peace and fuel hate speech and violence, it warned.

The doctors urged the UN and rights groups to launch an independent investigation and hold those responsible accountable.

The RSF did not immediately comment on the statement. However, the group typically maintain that they do not target civilians—a claim disputed by Sudanese authorities and international human rights groups.

Recently, the Sudanese army has made advances across large parts of North Kordofan following fighting with the RSF and announced that it has taken control of 11 areas in the state.

Since late July, the army has taken control of large areas of North Kordofan after retaking the strategic city of Bara, as well as the areas of Jabra al-Sheikh and Umm Siyala, and securing the national road linking Bara with Omdurman, west of the capital Khartoum.

The three states of the Kordofan region—North, West and South—have witnessed clashes between the army and the RSF since last October.

Sudan has been embroiled in a war between the army and the RSF since 2023, which has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced around 13 million, according to UN and international estimates.