5 civilians killed as RSF militia attacks a gold market in North Kordofan, Sudan

Five civilians were killed and 27 others wounded during fighting between Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) in Umm Badr, North Kordofan, local civil-society groups reported.

The incident occurred on September 20 at a gold-mining market in Umm Badr, according to the Dar Hamar Emergency Committee. The group said those killed included a goldsmith and accused the RSF of attacking and looting the market and surrounding shops. The RSF had not immediately commented on the allegations.

The committee also said the RSF had established a position for combat vehicles between the Umm Badr mining market and the Umm Badr Al-Hilla area, amid an intensifying military confrontation in the state.

More than 3,650 people have reportedly been displaced from Umm Badr, according to local sources cited by Darfur24 and data attributed to the International Organization for Migration’s Displacement Tracking Matrix. The displacement followed worsening insecurity and the buildup of forces in the area.

The violence comes as the Sudanese army and allied forces advance in North Kordofan. On September 20, the SAF announced that it had captured the strategic Al-Jamama area northeast of Sodari after clashes with the RSF. The army also said it had taken control of 11 other areas in the state in recent days.

North Kordofan has become a major battleground in Sudan’s war, which began in April 2023 as a power struggle between the SAF and the RSF. Fighting has caused mass civilian casualties and displaced millions across the country.