Shelling at Sudanese Market Claims Over 20 Lives Amid Ongoing Conflict

In a devastating escalation of violence, shelling at a bustling market in southeastern Sudan has resulted in the deaths of at least 21 people and left over 70 others wounded, according to the Sudan Doctors Network. The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are alleged to be behind the attack in the city of Sennar on Sunday, which has been denounced by the network as a "massacre" of civilians.

This tragic incident comes on the heels of Sudan's military rejecting a UN proposal to deploy an international force for civilian protection. The ongoing civil war, which erupted last April between the Sudanese army and the RSF, has already claimed thousands of lives and displaced more than 10 million people, rendering it one of the most severe humanitarian crises globally.

Despite multiple rounds of peace talks facilitated by Saudi Arabia and the United States, the conflict remains unresolved. The RSF, which holds control over most of Khartoum, Kordofan, and Darfur, faces accusations of employing rape as a tool of war and targeting non-Arab communities in a campaign of ethnic cleansing. However, the RSF has been unable to seize Sennar city from the army. The broader state of Sennar, captured by the RSF in June, is of strategic importance due to its proximity to Ethiopia and South Sudan and its significant agricultural resources.

Both factions in the Sudanese conflict stand accused of committing atrocities against civilians. Recent findings by the UN have suggested that these acts might amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, a notion firmly rejected by the Sudanese foreign ministry loyal to army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. The ministry dismissed the UN Human Rights Council's conclusions as politically motivated and illegal.

The flow of weapons into Sudan continues unabated despite a UN arms embargo on Darfur. Human Rights Watch reports that fighters are now equipped with advanced weaponry, including armed drones and anti-tank guided missiles, sourced from China, Iran, Russia, Serbia, and the UAE. The army enjoys support from Egypt and Saudi Arabia, while the UAE is alleged to back the RSF, though it denies such claims.

The RSF, led by Mohamed Hamdan "Hemedti" Dagalo, has its origins in the Janjaweed militia, which was implicated in genocide against non-Arab communities in Darfur in 2003. Recently, the RSF has sought to enhance its international standing and political legitimacy by participating in peace talks in Switzerland, which were notably boycotted by the army.

As the conflict in Sudan continues to unfold, the international community remains watchful, though solutions seem increasingly elusive.