At least 27 civilians were killed and 43 others seriously wounded in an attack by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on a village in Sudan’s West Kordofan state, local doctors said on Thursday.

In a statement, the Sudan Doctors Network said the RSF carried out a renewed assault on Brima Rashid village, north of Al-Nahud city, targeting unarmed civilians in their homes, including women, children, and the elderly.

It described the scene as “a massacre” and “a bloody crime reminiscent of the most horrific violations against humanity.”

The independent medical group condemned the attack in the strongest terms, holding the RSF leadership “fully responsible for the lives lost and the bloodshed.” It classified the attack as “both a war crime and a crime against humanity,” calling for urgent international intervention.

'Dangerous continuation of violations'

“This massacre is a dangerous continuation of systematic violations committed by the RSF across multiple states,” the group said, warning of “local and international silence and a deliberate disregard for the suffering of the Sudanese people.”

The network urged the international community to designate the RSF as a terrorist organisation and to take “immediate action to halt violations against civilians in areas under RSF control.” It also called for opening humanitarian corridors to rescue those forcibly displaced from their homes.

There was no immediate comment from the RSF.

The army and RSF have been fighting a war since April 2023 that has killed more than 20,000 victims and displaced 14 million, according to the UN and local authorities. Research from US universities, however, estimates the death toll at around 130,000.