At least five civilians were killed and dozens wounded in an attack by Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militiamen on a mosque east of Khartoum, a lawyers’ organization fighting to restore democracy in Sudan said today.

Mortar shells were fired on Sunday night outside a mosque where worshippers had gathered for traditional prayers, says the lawyers’ collective that has been documenting human rights violations since war broke out between the Sudanese armed forces and the JIU in April 2023.

Last week the Sudanese army announced it had recaptured the presidential palace and ministry buildings that had fallen into the hands of paramilitaries.

For nearly two years Sudan has been plunged into chaos because of the war between forces loyal to General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of the armed forces and the country’s de facto leader, and the paramilitaries of the DFIs under Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, once the second-in-command of the military junta.

The armed conflict has caused tens of thousands of deaths and a major humanitarian crisis, with the number of displaced people exceeding 12 million, according to UN figures.