At least 56 people were killed and many more injured in intense artillery shelling and airstrikes across greater Khartoum on Saturday, further escalating Sudan's ongoing conflict. The battle for power between Sudan’s regular army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has raged since April 2023, with clashes intensifying in recent weeks as the army seeks to reclaim the capital.

Attack On Crowded Market Kills 54

A devastating RSF attack on a crowded market in army-controlled Omdurman left 54 dead and 158 injured, overwhelming Al-Nao Hospital, one of the last functioning medical facilities in the city, as reported by Agence France-Presse news agency.

Eyewitnesses described horrific scenes, stating that shells landed directly in the middle of a vegetable market, resulting in a high number of casualties. While the RSF denied responsibility, medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) described the hospital as being in a state of "utter carnage."

Meanwhile, across the Nile in Khartoum, an airstrike on an RSF-controlled area killed two civilians and wounded dozens, according to the local Emergency Response Room. While the RSF has deployed drones in attacks, the Sudanese army continues to dominate aerial strikes.

Both sides have faced accusations of indiscriminate attacks on residential areas, worsening the toll on civilians. The war has led to tens of thousands of deaths, displaced over 12 million people, and crippled Sudan’s healthcare system, with most facilities now non-functional. MSF General Secretary Chris Lockyear, who was present at Al-Nao Hospital, described dire conditions, noting that the morgue was overflowing with bodies and injured patients occupied every available space.

The hospital is struggling with acute shortages of essential supplies, including shrouds, blood donors, and stretchers. The Sudanese doctors' union reported that a shell landed just meters from the hospital, further endangering those inside. The majority of the victims were women and children, prompting urgent calls for medical reinforcements.

The escalation follows the Sudanese army’s recent offensive across central Sudan. Having reclaimed Wad Madani, the army is now focusing on retaking Khartoum. However, the RSF still controls key routes, including the road between Wad Madani and Khartoum. In a strategic development, the army-allied Sudan Shield Forces announced the capture of Tamboul, Rufaa, Al-Hasaheisa, and Al-Hilaliya, approximately 125 kilometers southeast of the capital.

The leader of the Sudan Shield Forces, Abu Aqla Kaykal, previously defected from the RSF but has been accused of atrocities both during his time with the paramilitary and in his current role alongside the army. Sudan remains divided, with the RSF controlling most of Darfur and southern regions, while the army holds the north and east.

In recent weeks, the army has broken RSF blockades on several bases in Khartoum, including its headquarters, forcing RSF fighters to retreat towards the city's outskirts. Saturday’s shelling of Omdurman reportedly originated from RSF positions in the western outskirts of the city.

The attack came a day after RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo vowed to reclaim the capital. "We expelled them before, and we will expel them again," he declared in a rare video address.

Dire Situation In Sudan's Capital City

Khartoum, once Sudan’s vibrant capital, has been reduced to ruins after nearly two years of war. According to a study by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, an estimated 26,000 people were killed in the city between April 2023 and June 2024. Millions have fled, while those remaining face relentless shelling and a worsening humanitarian crisis.

The UN estimates that 106,000 people in Khartoum are suffering from famine, with an additional 3.2 million experiencing extreme food shortages. Nationally, famine has been declared in five areas, most of them in Darfur, and is expected to spread further by May. With no resolution in sight, Sudan’s civil war continues to devastate the nation, leaving millions in urgent need of aid.