Khartoum: More than 200 people, including women and children, have been killed in ethnically motivated attacks carried out by Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in parts of Darfur, as reported by the Sudan Doctors Network.

According to Anadolu Agency, the network's statement, released on Saturday, cites testimonies from survivors who have arrived at displacement camps in Tina, near the Sudan-Chad border. It details how civilians in the areas of Ambro and Abu Qamra in North Darfur and Sirba in West Darfur were targeted and killed based on their ethnicity following RSF attacks.

The statement highlights that the victims included children, women, and men who were deliberately targeted on ethnic grounds. It condemns these assaults as a gross violation of international humanitarian and human rights law. No immediate comment has been received from the RSF.

The reported killings occurred amid intensified fighting in North Darfur. The Joint Force of Armed Movements, allied with the Sudanese army, announced on Thursday that its fighters had repelled RSF attacks on several areas in North Darfur. In its statement, the joint force accused the RSF of escalating criminal attacks against unarmed civilians, particularly around Abu Qamra, with the aim of imposing control by force through killing, forced displacement, and terrorizing residents and those displaced from El-Fasher.

Local sources report that RSF forces attacked Abu Qamra and Ambro on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the RSF claims to have taken control of both areas. The joint force further stated that since the start of these assaults, RSF fighters have burned entire villages, looted livestock and civilian property, and committed grave abuses against residents.

In terms of territorial control, the RSF holds sway over all five states of the Darfur region in the west, except for some northern parts of North Darfur that remain under army control. Conversely, the Sudanese army maintains control over most areas of the remaining 13 states in the south, north, east, and center, including the capital, Khartoum.

The ongoing conflict between the Sudanese army and the RSF, which began in April 2023, has resulted in the deaths of thousands of people and the displacement of millions more.