Sudan: 100+ Dead As 'Indiscriminate' Shelling Ravages Sudan Capital

14 September 2023

Khartoum / Sharg El Nil / Khartoum North / Omdurman — Densely populated areas across the Sudanese capital of Khartoum and its sister cities experienced continuous and indiscriminate shelling on Tuesday evening. The Hilet Kouko cattle market near Sharg El Nil was subjected to shelling, resulting in at least 30 fatalities, including women and children. Additionally, aerial bombardment resulted in six casualties in Ombadda El Hara 4, Omdurman, while several individuals sustained injuries. According to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the death toll throughout the capital has reached 104, with hundreds more injured since the beginning of the week.

In a statement by the RSF yesterday, they denounced the military shelling as a "full-fledged war crime, deserving strong condemnation from all human rights institutions".

There are reports of robberies, plundering, and assaults on families in Ombadda El Hara 4. One victim recounted to Radio Dabanga that members of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) forcibly entered their home on Monday evening, subjected them to physical assault, and looted their belongings.

The western part of the Karari district in Omdurman was shelled, leaving dozens dead and wounded.

Mohamed Salah of the Emergency Lawyers expressed deep concern over the continuous indiscriminate shelling targeting civilians. Salah asserted that both sides of the conflict "deliberately target populated areas, civilian facilities, hospitals, and places of worship", even though these are not military targets. He stressed that the shelling's primary aim appears to be the forced displacement of civilians.

The lawyer emphasised several principles governing warfare, including the distinction between military and civilian targets, the principle of proportionality, which requires that the use of force be proportionate to the intended military objective, and the principle of precaution.

"In most cases in Khartoum and Nyala, the size of projectiles used is not commensurate with military objectives and appears to be intended to displace civilians", Salah explained.

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