Volunteer killed in Sudan’s Umbada amid Army-RSF clashes

January 12, 2025 (OMDURMAN) – A female volunteer with a local aid group was killed in Omdurman, part of Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, on Sunday during clashes between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a member of the aid group said.

The Sudanese army has regained control of most of the Umbada district in western Omdurman, but RSF fighters remain in two neighbourhoods, according to residents and local activists.

Gazia Hassan, a volunteer with the Women’s Response Office in Umbada’s Buqa’a sector (Block 51), was killed after RSF troops raided her home, a member of the Umbada Emergency Room told Sudan Tribune, speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons. The attack took place amid ongoing skirmishes between the RSF and the army in the area, he added.

Sudan Tribune was unable to independently verify the details of the attack. The RSF did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Umbada Emergency Room, a volunteer-based aid group, declared a state of maximum alert after seven health centres in the area were forced to close, affecting medical services for an estimated 28,000 residents. The group warned that more health centres could shut down if the fighting intensifies.

A spokesperson for the Emergency Room called for urgent action to address the worsening humanitarian situation, including treating the injured, providing healthcare to vulnerable groups, especially pregnant and nursing women, and offering psychological support to those affected by the violence.

The area has been suffering from the effects of the ongoing fighting, including stray bullets and shrapnel hitting homes, as well as arbitrary arrests, the spokesperson said, adding that this was compounding the hardship faced by civilians.