North Darfur: RSF attack on convoy kills scores of civilians

January 17, 2025 (EL FASHER) – At least 120 people, mostly civilians, were killed in an attack by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on a civilian convoy in North Darfur on Wednesday, according to military sources.

The convoy, escorted by a recently formed neutral force comprising members of the Sudan Liberation Army and the Gathering of Liberation Forces, was travelling near Kabkabiya when it attacked.

Sources told Reuters that the RSF targeted civilians based on their ethnicity, accusing them of supporting the armed groups. Among the victims were people seeking medical treatment in Chad. The RSF also reportedly took prisoners and looted goods.

The neutral force condemned the attack as a “cowardly act of treachery” and vowed to hold the RSF accountable. It warned that such attacks could lead to uncontrollable anger and further escalate the conflict.

The RSF, for its part, blamed an unnamed “third party” for the attack, accusing it of attempting to widen the war.

This incident follows a similar attack in March 2024, where the RSF attacked a Sudan Liberation Army convoy, resulting in casualties and the destruction of vehicles. The RSF admitted to that attack, attributing it to a mistake.