Fighters with the opposition Rapid Support Forces have attacked an open market in the Sudanese city of Omdurman, killing 54 people.
The attack on Sabrein market also wounded at least 158 others, Sudan’s health ministry said.
Two more people were killed on Saturday in an airstrike in the capital, Khartoum, across the Nile from Omdurman.
The culture minister and government spokesperson, Khalid al-Aleisir, condemned the attack and said the casualties included many women and children. He also said the atrocity had caused “widespread destruction to private and public properties”.
“This criminal act adds to the bloody record of this militia,” he said. “It constitutes a blatant violation of international humanitarian law.”
The RSF denied carrying out the attack.
Across the Nile in Khartoum proper, two civilians were killed and dozens wounded in an air strike on an RSF-controlled area, said the local emergency response room, one of hundreds of volunteer groups coordinating emergency care across Sudan.
The conflict in Sudan started in April 2023 when simmering tensions between the leaders of the military and the RSF exploded into open fighting in Khartoum. The conflict has since spread across the country.
More than 28,000 people have been killed and millions forced to flee their homes. Famine has been declared in parts of the country, where some families have resorted to eating grass to survive.
The conflict has been marked by atrocities including ethnically motivated killing and rape, according the UN and human rights groups. The international criminal court has said it is investigating alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Agence France-Presse contributed reporting
