Nearly 6,000 people were displaced from seven villages in Sudan’s West Darfur state in a single day amid fighting between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Monday.
The UN migration agency said 5,975 people fled the villages of Lakisa, Rofeid, Shibeit Ardu, Um Ghadara, Hajar Sangeid, Salamtar and Abu Suruj in Sirba locality on Sunday due to deteriorating security conditions.
Most displaced households crossed the border into Chad, while others sought shelter in areas within El Geneina locality, the capital of West Darfur, according to the agency.
The IOM said the situation remained tense and that it was continuing to closely monitor developments.
A day earlier, the agency reported that 5,135 people had fled 10 villages in Sirba amid rising security tensions.
On Sunday, Darfur Governor Minni Arko Minnawi said Sudanese forces had repelled a major RSF assault on Bir Saliba.
Located north of El Geneina, Bir Saliba is strategically significant because it lies along routes leading to the city. The area has repeatedly been affected by clashes between the RSF, the army and allied forces.
The conflict between Sudan’s army and the RSF has continued since April 15, 2023, following disputes over the proposed integration of the paramilitary group into the regular armed forces. The fighting has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions.
By the end of June 2026, the IOM had recorded approximately 8.69 million internally displaced people in Sudan, while more than 4.64 million people had returned to areas inside the country or from abroad.
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