22 July 2025 | 11:50 CAT
2-minute read

Sudan faces worsening catastrophe amid mass killings and migrant deportations

Main Points:

• Nearly 300 civilians were killed in recent RSF attacks in North Kordofan.
• Libya deported 700 Sudanese migrants amid a broader crackdown on smuggling.
• Sudan is facing severe displacement, disease outbreaks, and a deepening humanitarian crisis.

Sudan is hurtling deeper into one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises, with recent atrocities in North Kordofan and sweeping deportations of Sudanese migrants from Libya compounding the suffering of a nation already reeling from war, displacement, and disease.

In an interview with Radio Islam International, Saeed Abdullah, a Sudanese journalist based in Johannesburg, painted a harrowing picture of the country’s west.

“Nearly 300 civilians were killed in Kordofan,” he reported. The massacre — allegedly carried out by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) — occurred in villages near Bara and Shag Alnom, where homes were shelled and residents indiscriminately attacked.

The RSF, formerly a paramilitary wing of Sudan’s government, has been embroiled in a brutal civil war with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) since April 2023. Despite mounting accusations of war crimes and ethnic cleansing, the RSF continues to deny targeting civilians.

“They always…deny the horrific attacks on civilians that the people commit,” said Abdullah.

The United Nations confirmed that over 3 400 people were displaced in the recent wave of violence, with a further 379 000 fleeing to Tawila and 46 000 from West Kordofan alone.

Cholera outbreaks, drone strikes, heavy rains, and destroyed infrastructure are exacerbating the situation. Aid agencies like Mercy Corps have suspended operations due to the chaos, leaving millions without assistance.

Meanwhile, in a separate but related development, Libya deported 700 Sudanese migrants as part of an anti-trafficking crackdown. These deportations targeted Sudanese residing in eastern and central Libya — many of whom had fled the conflict in Sudan.

Libya remains a major transit hub for African migrants seeking to reach Europe. However, instability since the 2011 fall of Muammar Gaddafi has made the journey perilous.

“The UN estimates over 240 000 Sudanese migrants currently reside in Libya,” Abdullah explained, “many of whom fled the war in Sudan.”

As Sudan approaches the second anniversary of its civil war, more than 10 million people have been displaced, and half the population is in need of urgent humanitarian assistance. Relief efforts remain grossly underfunded, and ceasefire negotiations have repeatedly collapsed.

“We only hope that… these post parties at least can get to a ceasefire that will allow the humanitarian crisis to be in a better place,” Abdullah concluded.

Listen to the Africa Report on Sabaahul Muslim with Moulana Sulaimaan Ravat.