Massacre in Sudan: Over 150 Killed in Rebel Attack on Wad al-Nour Village

In a devastating attack by rebel forces in Sudan, at least 150 people were killed and 200 injured, according to local officials and eyewitnesses. The assault, which took place in the village of Wad al-Nour in the central Al-Jazira state, is the latest atrocity in a year-long conflict that has displaced more than 7 million people.

Residents recounted the horror that unfolded on Wednesday when fighters from Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) descended upon the village. Over 40 armed vehicles stormed Wad al-Nour, unleashing heavy weaponry on its inhabitants, resulting in the deaths and injuries of mostly civilians, including children and women. The attack has left the village in a state of terror, with ongoing fighting just a few kilometers away, causing villagers to fear further escalations.

Another resident described the grim task of counting the dead and injured, stating, “So far, we’ve buried more than 120 people in a mass grave in the middle of the village.” Footage shared on social media shows a large crowd in Wad al-Nour surrounding dozens of dead bodies, shrouded in white, as preparations were made for their burial. Another video allegedly shows the RSF militia firing heavy and medium weapons towards the village.

Why It Matters : The attack on Wad al-Nour is a stark reminder of the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Sudan, where both the Sudanese army and the RSF have faced damning accusations of civilian massacres since the civil war broke out in April 2023. The RSF acknowledged the attack in a statement, claiming it was a pre-emptive strike on Sudan’s Armed Forces (SAF) camps in response to a planned attack by the army. However, they did not acknowledge the civilian deaths reported. Eyewitnesses, however, stated that there was no military presence in the village, suggesting that the attack was unprovoked.

The leader of the SAF, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, vowed to retaliate after visiting survivors in a nearby city. “The response to the militia’s crimes against the martyrs of [Wad al-Nour] will be severe and harsh,” he warned.

Wad al-Nour, located about 160 kilometers south of the Sudanese capital Khartoum, has long been a strategic target for the RSF due to its proximity to Al-Manaqil, where the Sudanese army maintains its only presence in Al-Jazira state. This was not the first attempt by the RSF to control Wad al-Nour, as they have tried several times to take the village. Thousands have perished since fighting erupted between forces loyal to two rival generals – army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, leader of the SAF, and General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, head of the RSF.

The RSF has specifically targeted villages in Al-Jazira, Sudan’s agricultural heartland, to swell its ranks through forced conscription and using hunger as a weapon. In March, eyewitnesses told CNN that more than 700 people, including dozens of children, were forcibly recruited from the state by the militia group after being ordered to “enlist or die.” The RSF denied this claim.

The Sudanese Transitional Sovereignty Council condemned the RSF’s actions, describing them as part of a systematic campaign of violence against civilians. “This heinous crime is added to the series of crimes committed by this rebel militia in many states of Sudan. These are criminal acts that reflect the systematic behavior of these militias in targeting civilians, plundering their property, and forcibly displacing them from their areas,” the Council stated.

A UN representative expressed deep concern over the reported violence and called for a thorough investigation and accountability for those responsible. “Even by the tragic standards of Sudan’s conflict, the images emerging from Wad al-Nour are heart-breaking. Wars have rules that need to be respected, no matter what,” said Clementine Nkweta-Salami, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has warned that the number of people displaced by conflict inside Sudan could top 10 million in the coming days. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs noted that over 8.8 million people have fled their homes, and 24.8 million urgently need assistance. Last week, at the UN Security Council, Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide Alice Wairimu Nderitu warned, “The situation today bears all the marks of risk of genocide, with strong allegations that this crime has already been committed.”

The attack on Wad al-Nour is a tragic chapter in Sudan’s ongoing conflict, highlighting the urgent need for international intervention and humanitarian aid to address the escalating crisis.

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