UN Aid Trucks Targeted Amid Sudan's Ongoing Conflict

A United Nations aid convoy in North Darfur has come under fire, resulting in casualties as tensions between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continue to rise, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in the region.

Reports have emerged that United Nations aid trucks in North Darfur, Sudan, have been targeted, leading to initial confirmations of "multiple casualties," according to a representative from the UN. The assault, which claimed the lives of guards, drivers, and civilians, has been attributed by the Sudanese government to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group currently engaged in a brutal civil war against the army. However, the RSF has countered that the army is to blame for the attack, which occurred late Monday night in the town of el-Koma.

As the convoy was preparing to depart for el-Fasher — the last area in North Darfur still under army control amidst reported famine conditions — it came under fire. Four members of the UN convoy were reported killed and two wounded, as confirmed by RSF spokesperson Basha Tabiq. A local volunteer group, the el-Koma Emergency Room, shared footage of a burned truck, accusing "Sudanese army drones" of causing the destruction.

El-Koma, held by the RSF, has been the site of numerous assaults throughout the ongoing conflict, resulting in numerous civilian casualties and damage to vital infrastructure. The el-Koma Emergency Room also indicated that at least 89 individuals were either killed or injured due to airstrikes by Sudanese army aircraft that targeted a bustling market in the town over the weekend. The army has yet to respond to these allegations.

Since the civil war erupted in 2023, following a power struggle between the RSF and the army, more than four million people have fled the country, leading to one of the world’s most pressing humanitarian crises. The ongoing violence, which began over two years ago, has not only disrupted daily life but also endangered the essential aid that organizations like the UN strive to deliver to affected populations.