Thousands of residents have fled the town of Wad Ashana in southern Sudan following clashes between Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the army.
The RSF fighters, on numerous armed vehicles, reportedly attacked Wad Ashana on Saturday, situated on the border between North Kordofan and White Nile states, as reported by residents.
Al-Tayeb Abdelbaqi recounted the experience stating, “My neighbour and my cousin were both killed in the crossfire. It was hours of terror.” He sought refuge in El Odaydab, a town located 10 kilometers away. There, he sheltered with a relative along with three other families.
Many families, similar to Abdelbaqi’s who fled to preserve their lives but abandoned all their belongings, sought refuge in schools in the area.
“We left with only the clothes on our backs,” expressed Ahmed, another resident who used to own a store in Wad Ashana. He preferred to be identified only by his first name due to fear of retaliation.
Footage shared on social media by the RSF on Sunday showed fighters “taking over the Wad Ashana garrison in North Kordofan and advancing towards Kosti,” the last major town on the road to South Sudan. The Sudanese army has not yet provided any comment on the situation in the area.
Almost 5.2 million people have been internally displaced by the ongoing conflict within Sudan, with an additional approximately 1.2 million people fleeing across borders.