Cairo, Feb 25: An attack by the Sudanese paramilitary forces on a stronghold of a Darfur tribal leader left at least 28 people dead, a doctors group said on Tuesday.
The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces on Monday rampaged through the town of Misteriha in North Darfur province, according to the Sudan Doctors Network, which tracks the country’s ongoing war.
The town is a stronghold of Arab tribal leader Musa Hilal who also hails from the Rizeigat Arab tribe as the majority of the members of the paramilitary RSF.
At least 39 people, including 10 women, were wounded in the attack, the medical group said.
Sudan’s war erupted in 2023 after tensions between the Sudanese army and the rival RSF escalated into fighting that began in Khartoum and spread nationwide, killing thousands, triggering mass displacement, disease outbreaks, and severe food insecurity. Aid workers were frequently targeted.
The medical group said RSF shelling hit the town’s healthcare centre on Monday, after which the RSF fighters assaulted medical staff and detained at least one of them. The paramilitaries began their offensive on the town over the weekend with drone strikes that hit Hilal’s guesthouse. On Monday, the RSF launched a major ground offensive and took over the town.
The seizure of Misteriha has asserted RSF control of Darfur. However, it risks escalating tribal tensions in an area long known for violence and war.