Sudanese in 'total panic' as paramilitaries move South

Displaced people fleeing from Wad Madani in Sudan's Jazira state arrive in Gedaref in the country's east, Dec 19, 2023. [AFP]

On a countryside road in battle-ravaged Sudan, the hum of a passing vehicle turns villagers' blood cold, fearing the arrival of paramilitaries plundering their way south in their war against the army.

"They've created a state of total panic," said Rabab, who lives in a village north of Wad Madani, the Al-Jazira state capital and latest site of fierce battles between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).