Tragedy of North Darfur’s Umm Keddada: ‘The RSF killed our only doctor’

Report by Fath Al Rahman Hamouda of Al Taghyeer newspaper for Sudan Media Forum joint newsroom

Since the outbreak of the war in Sudan, which has entered its third year, thousands of humanitarian and survival stories continue to emerge from areas affected by military operations and witnessing gross violations, whether by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) or the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), with Darfur being the worst affected.

In this context, the city of Umm Keddada, located in North Darfur (187 km southeast of the stste capital El Fasher), witnessed horrific violations committed by the RSF, which invaded the area in April 2025, according to the account of the young man in his twenties, “A.J.”, who told Al Taghyeer the story of his survival, along with thousands of residents.

A.J. begins his story by saying: When the RSF invaded the city of Umm Keddada, the land was no longer large enough for its inhabitants. I hid inside one of the houses in the neighbourhood where I live for long hours, watching from between the narrow cracks and hearing the sounds of heavy weapons as if death was approaching me.

The young man watched civilians falling, markets being looted, and hearts being ripped out in terror. All of this danced before his eyes during the first hours of the attack. The moments were an endless nightmare, as every sound and movement increased his rapidly beating heart, until it made him wonder: Is this the end?

The young man continued his testimony, noting that on Thursday morning, the great tragedy occurred, as the forces attacked the residents mercilessly, as if they were monsters emerging from the depths of nightmares, as he put it. He added, “Many of our people carried their primitive weapons only to protect their livestock and homes.”

He asserts that the Thursday battle was not an ordinary battle, but a true massacre that claimed the lives of more than 300 people, most of whom were his comrades and “the best young men in the region,” as he put it.

The RSF announced their control of the Umm Keddada area, saying in a statement on Telegram that they had achieved a major victory by liberating the 24th Brigade in the Umm Keddada locality, which is part of the 6th Infantry Division, from the grip of the Sudanese army and the joint force of armed struggle movements fighting alongside it.

However, Al Jazeera Net quoted field sources as saying that the popular resistance, the Mustafinir (popular support forces), and the community movement were able to repel a surprise attack launched by the RSF on the Umm Keddada local government headquarters, resulting in heavy losses in lives and equipment for the attackers. However, all sources agreed that fierce fighting took place in the city.

As the sun set that day, A.J. said, the residents’ thoughts were focused on trying to survive, until they received news that the only doctor in the area had been killed by the RSF, who continued to kill indiscriminately, targeting children, the elderly, and women. They had no choice but to flee.

He adds that they left barefoot, carrying nothing but fear. They were four young men who had crept through the dark streets. According to his testimony, every sound on the way terrified them, because if they were exposed at that moment, it would mean execution.

He explained that they took a back road known only to the people of the area, until they reached Mount Mandoul, the only mountain that the RSF had not yet reached. Upon their arrival, they breathed a sigh of relief, but the road was still long until they reached Umm Sidra, which is about 75 kilometres away.

He continued: “The streets were filled with children and the elderly, some sitting on the ground exhausted, others lost and not knowing where they were going, and others crying silently or loudly… Umm Keddada was bleeding.”

Meanwhile, the exodus was underway, one convoy after another, one soul after another escaping, in an attempt to escape death’s grip. He notes that those fleeing did not know where they were headed but were driven by the instinct to survive.

He continued, “We passed through the project area, then to the Zarafa area east of Umm Keddada. There, we found nothing but scattered ash, the smell of burning, and thirst that dried our throats.” He added that they walked for an entire day without drinking a single drop of water.

Upon their arrival in the Umm Sidra area, it was the first time they felt they might have escaped death. However, they were not alone; thousands of other displaced people were also arriving in convoys seeking a safe place to escape the hell of war.

He asserts that the situation in Umm Sidra was extremely difficult, as the area was not prepared to receive such a large number of displaced persons. He points out that resources were scarce, and shelter was scarce, with the number of displaced persons exceeding 27,000 in a short period.

Due to the dire humanitarian conditions there, the young man says he saw women crying over their children, sick people without medicine, others sleeping on the ground without blankets, and entire families living under the sun without a roof to protect them. He emphasises that every face told a tragic story.

A.J. concludes his narrative by saying: Yes, we survived, but we are no longer the same. We left behind dead people, burned-out homes, and unfulfilled dreams. Everything we knew has become nothing but a painful memory. We didn’t leave because we wanted to, but because death was closer to us than life.

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This report, compiled by Fath Al Rahman Hamouda of Al Taghyeer newspaper, is published via the platforms of the Sudan Media Forum and its member institutions as part of its monitoring and tracking of the repercussions of the war between the SAF and the RSF and its account from the victims’ perspective.

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