Sudan conflict: Rockets kill 16 civilians in Darfur

At least 16 civilians have been killed by rocket fire in war-torn Sudan's western Darfur region, a local lawyers' union reported.

"During an exchange of rocket fire between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), 16 civilians were killed on Friday, according to a preliminary toll, in Nyala," the South Darfur state capital, the union said on Saturday. 

And at least one man was killed by a sniper, it added.

The conflict in Sudan started in mid-April amid a power struggle between two rival generals, Army Chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. The clashes initially broke out in Khartoum and later spread to Darfur.

Both Burhan and Daglo, who is commander of the RSF, have representatives in Saudi Arabia, where truce talks have been taking place. However, Khartoum denied "any information concerning a near truce" with the RSF.

The fighting has intensified in the West Darfur capital, El Geneina, where snipers have targeted residents from rooftops. Previously, the United Nations had reported brutal clashes and atrocities in El Geneina.

The violence has forced tens of thousands of people to flee across the border to neighboring Chad.

Darfur is an RSF stronghold and fighting there is concentrated around Nyala. Fighting has also continued in and around Khartoum.

The International Crisis Group (ICG) think-tank said that the RSF holds a significant advantage in Khartoum, and the conflict has persisted in and around the capital city.

Army airstrikes have been reported on villages in the north of Al-Jazirah state, just south of Khartoum, raising concerns that the conflict may spread to that region, leading to further displacement of people.

The ongoing conflict has created immense challenges for humanitarian workers supporting several hundred thousand refugees in the fertile land between the White Nile and Blue Nile rivers.

Meantime, the RSF is trying to seize the main Darfur-Khartoum road to maintain steady supply of fighters and weapons.

The warring sides are attempting to expand the battlefield to new areas, posing further risks to refugees and humanitarian efforts.

The fighting has resulted in an estimated death toll of at least 3,000 people since the conflict began in Sudan.

MG