RSF denies role in Omdurman market shelling, blames Burhan’s SAF

The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have denied responsibility for the shelling of Sabreen Market in Omdurman, where dozens were killed and injured on Saturday.

The Sudanese group instead accused General al-Burhan’s army (SAF) and allied jihadist militias of orchestrating the attack to divert attention from alleged war crimes in other regions.

In a statement, RSF spokesperson dismissed claims that its forces targeted civilian areas in Omdurman, asserting that artillery shells striking the Thawra district were launched from military positions controlled by the SAF and its allied militias.

Eyewitnesses described the bombardment of Sabreen Market as one of the most intense in recent weeks, with several bodies torn apart by the blasts. Hospitals, including Al-Nau and Sawad, were overwhelmed with casualties, with at least 110 wounded and an unspecified number of fatalities reported.

The RSF accused SAF-affiliated militias, particularly the “Al-Baraa Battalions,” of systematically attacking civilians to obscure atrocities committed by the SAF in Um Rawaba, northern Bahri, Wad Madani, Suki, and Dinder.

The group called on human rights organizations to intervene, blaming the violence on direct orders from SAF chief Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.

Since the war erupted between the SAF and the RSF in April 2023, urban centers such as Khartoum and Omdurman have become battlegrounds, with residential areas and markets frequently caught in the crossfire.

The Karrari district of Omdurman, where Sabreen Market is located, has witnessed a surge in deadly attacks, further exacerbating civilian suffering.

RSF maintains that such attacks are part of a broader military strategy by the SAF and its jihadist allies to deflect attention from human rights violations elsewhere.

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