Sudanese armed forces have discovered a mass grave containing at least 25 bodies in the town of Kurmuk in Blue Nile state, southeastern Sudan. Local officials have accused the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of carrying out the killings.
According to Kurmuk Commissioner Abdel Aty Mohamed al-Faki, the discovery was announced on Sunday, after the Sudanese army recaptured the area about a month ago following weeks of intense fighting. The mass grave was found during a sweep northeast of the town, containing remains of children, women, and hospital staff.
Al-Faki said the victims were executed near Jebel Fankat, a hilltop position that the RSF used to launch drone attacks during its assault on the area. The RSF has not yet commented on the accusation.
The RSF has been fighting the Sudanese army since April 2023 and has been accused of numerous massacres, including in the capital Khartoum, the city of el-Fasher, and Gezeira state in central Sudan.
Al Jazeera’s correspondent in Khartoum, Almigdad al-Ruhaid, described the discovery in Kurmuk as “serious and concerning,” noting that the RSF continues to launch drone attacks in Blue Nile state. “In Kurmuk city, the RSF has launched explosive drones for the second consecutive day,” al-Ruhaid said, saying that fighting persists in many areas even as control maps may change, causing mass displacement.
Intense fighting also continues in West Darfur, where the RSF holds a main position, as the Sudanese army is said to have repelled paramilitary attacks at Bir Saliba, about 40 km from el-Geneina city.
According to the World Health Organization, the conflict has killed about 40,000 people and displaced more than 14 million from their homes.
