A drone strike by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has killed five civilians in Khartoum, according to an independent legal group supporting victims of human rights abuses in Sudan. Emergency Lawyers reported the attack on Saturday, marking the second such strike in the capital within a week after months of relative calm following the government's recapture of the city last year.

The NGO holds the RSF fully responsible, accusing the group of violating international humanitarian law. Emergency Lawyers said the incident is part of an ongoing pattern of attacks on civilians, with nearly 700 civilians killed in drone strikes in the first three months of this year, according to UN figures.

On Tuesday, a drone struck a hospital in the Jebel Awliya area, about 40 km south of central Khartoum, the first such attack in months. The Sudanese army, which now holds firm control in the north and east, launched a rapid counteroffensive last year that pushed the RSF out of the capital, after which the military government declared Khartoum 'completely free' of the group.

Since then, the RSF has focused on expanding control in its western Darfur stronghold and neighboring areas, capturing valuable oil assets. Violence has also spread to southeastern Blue Nile state near the Ethiopian border, raising fears of a prolonged and fragmented conflict.

The RSF carried out a series of drone strikes on Khartoum last year, mainly targeting military sites, power stations, and water infrastructure. In recent months, the capital has seen relative calm, with over 1.8 million displaced residents returning and the airport resuming domestic flights, though much of the city remains without electricity or basic services.

The conflict between the Sudanese government and the former ally RSF began in April 2023. Since then, around 14 million people have been displaced and two-thirds of the population are in urgent need of humanitarian support, according to the United Nations.

Source: www.aljazeera.com