Horrific reports of mass executions have followed the recent capture by RSF forces in late October of the town of al-Fashir in western Sudan.
There is great concern about a new bloody development in the civil war as the militia now appears to be turning east, aiming for al-Ubayyid in the oil-rich province of Kordofan.
The air defense system today shot down a drone that the RSF militia sent towards the city, the source within the Sudanese national army told AFP.
Serious war crimes
After the fall of al-Fashir, the RSF (Rapid Support Forces) now controls a number of state capitals in the western parts of the country, as well as territory in southern Sudan.
The army, in turn, controls the lion's share of northern Sudan, as well as the eastern and central parts.
Both sides have been accused of gross abuses and war crimes during the two-and-a-half-year war, but many observers point to the RSF's warfare as particularly brutal and ruthless.
Weapons support from abroad
As recently as Thursday, the militia spoke positively about a ceasefire proposal put forward by international mediators. But the UN warned on Friday that developments on the ground rather indicate preparations for new, intense fighting.
The conflict has led to the world's largest humanitarian crisis and at least 40,000 people have been killed, although aid organizations estimate that the real number could be significantly higher.
The war broke out in April 2023, as a result of a power struggle after a coup in the wake of the fall of long-time dictator Omar al-Bashir in 2019. The fighting is fueled by arms support for the parties from foreign powers with different interests in the country.
