Sudan: Airstrikes by "Rapid Support Forces" Leave 20 Dead

Sudanese media and the Kerri Resistance Committees, a local group in central Sudan, reported that "Rapid Support Forces" launched a campaign of intense artillery shelling on the village of Sheikh Al-Samani east of Sennar, resulting in at least 20 deaths and leaving dozens injured. In a statement posted on their Facebook page today, Friday, they noted that among the deceased were children whose bodies were dismembered due to the shelling, according to the "Arab World News Agency." The "Rapid Support Forces" have been fighting the Sudanese army for 14 months as they contend for control over various regions of the sprawling country. The conflict in Sudan began in April of last year between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces, leading to the largest displacement crisis in the world. The United Nations states that nearly 25 million people, or half of Sudan's population, require aid, with about 8 million having fled their homes and hunger worsening.