Omdurman, Sudan — The toll of Sudan’s ongoing conflict has unfolded in harrowing detail in neighborhoods such as Mulazmeen, where personal tragedies and local resilience starkly illustrate the war’s human cost. Khalid Sanhouri, a local musician, became one of its many casualties when he died last July under circumstances that stunned the community. According to residents, the severity of fighting rendered local medical services inaccessible, leaving Sanhouri without necessary care.
A neighbor, Mohammed Omar, shared that the chaos at the time made it impossible to transport the ill to hospitals, secure medications from pharmacies, or even procure basic necessities. “Not even markets to buy food were available,” Omar lamented. With no access to the nearby graveyard, residents had no choice but to bury their loved ones close to home. Sanhouri’s final resting place was just behind his residence, shadowed by a wall scarred with bullet holes.
This improvisation in burials has been mirrored across greater Khartoum, where makeshift graves have become a common sight. However, as the army regains control over some areas, efforts are underway to relocate bodies to Omdurman’s main cemetery. Abdin Khidir, a local undertaker, reports that the cemetery, now encroaching upon an adjacent football field, sees up to 50 burials a day continually accommodating the incoming dead.
The conflict has led to a blame game over who bears the responsibility for the escalating death toll. Army spokesperson Brig-Gen Nabil Abdallah dismissed direct queries, instead denouncing the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) as perpetrators targeting civilians. “The main cause of all this suffering is the terrorist RSF, which has not hesitated from the first moment to target civilians,” Abdallah stated.
Conversely, the health ministry’s records suggest disparities in reported casualties, counting 5,565 war-related deaths, a number significantly lower than other estimates. Yet, contradictorily, the RSF accuses the government forces of exacerbating the situation through “deliberate air strikes on populated areas,” in addition to the use of artillery and drones.
The ongoing conflict in Sudan not only represents a political and military struggle but underscores profound humanitarian crises exacerbated by infrastructural collapse and a breakdown of societal norms. As both sides continue to exchange accusations, the citizens of Khartoum and surrounding areas bear the brunt of this tragic conflict, mourning their losses while striving for survival in an increasingly desolate home front.