Khartoum, Sudan – A United Nations aid convoy carrying essential supplies for the war-torn North Darfur region of Sudan has been attacked, with initial reports indicating “multiple casualties,” according to a spokesperson for the international organisation.
The Sudanese government swiftly blamed the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group locked in a civil war with the army, stating that “guards, drivers and civilians” were killed in the assault. However, the RSF, in turn, accused the army of carrying out the attack, which took place in the town of el-Koma on Monday night.
The UN has not attributed responsibility for the attack but confirmed the convoy was ambushed while awaiting departure for el-Fasher, a city under siege where famine conditions have been reported. El-Fasher is the last major stronghold in North Darfur remaining under army control and has faced continuous attacks by the RSF for over a year.
An RSF spokesperson, Basha Tabiq, posted on X (formerly Twitter) that four members of the UN convoy were killed and two more injured in the Monday night incident. Conversely, the el-Koma Emergency Room, a local volunteer responder group, shared a video on Facebook showing a burnt-out truck laden with aid sacks, attributing the attack to “Sudanese army drones.”
El-Koma itself, controlled by the RSF, has been a frequent target in the conflict, resulting in civilian deaths and damage to vital infrastructure. The el-Koma Emergency Room further alleged that at least 89 people were killed or injured after Sudanese army warplanes conducted airstrikes in the town on Sunday, an accusation the army has not yet addressed. The Sudan Tribune news website reported that these airstrikes hit a busy market.
The civil war, which erupted more than two years ago, has created one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises. Eujin Byun, a spokesperson for the UN refugee agency, stated on Tuesday that more than four million people have fled their homes since the conflict began.
The conflict broke out in April 2023 following a violent power struggle between the Sudanese army and the RSF, both of whom had jointly staged a coup in 2021 that derailed Sudan’s transition to democracy.
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