Panic in Sudan as paramilitaries advance south of capital
Recent UN data indicates that approximately 2.8 million people have fled the capital Khartoum since the commencement of hostilities
Tensions are escalating south of Sudan's capital as paramilitary forces, known as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), advance into previously untouched regions, sparking panic among local residents.
The conflict, which erupted in April, has witnessed the RSF gain control of significant parts of Khartoum, displacing thousands. Recent UN data indicated that approximately 2.8 million people have fled the capital since the commencement of hostilities.
For many among those displaced who sought refuge in the neighboring Al Jazira state to the south, newfound fear grips them as the notorious RSF fighters encroach upon their supposed safe haven.
Hussein Mohammed described the horrifying sight of dozens of RSF vehicles entering the town of Al Maseed, recounting how they later set up a checkpoint roughly 50 miles south of Khartoum.
He stated, "I was near Al Maseed when I suddenly saw 43 pickups and armored vehicles approaching. They later put up a checkpoint near the village of Om Maghad, north of Al Kamlin."
By the following Tuesday, RSF forces had reached Al Kamlin, a mere 30 minute drive south of their previous checkpoint, where they documented their presence on social media, claiming to distribute "urgent humanitarian aid."
Amid the mounting crisis, businesses shut their doors as locals remembered the violent incidents of looting and bloodshed witnessed in Khartoum.
Since April 15, hostilities between the RSF and the regular army, both accused of targeting civilians, have largely focused on Khartoum and the western region of Darfur.
Additionally, many displaced individuals who fled Khartoum for the Al Jazira state have faced the grim reality of their homes in the capital being commandeered by the RSF, who have expelled families and laid claim to abandoned structures, along with all their contents.