Asia Abdelmajid, one of Sudan’s most famous actors, was killed by a stray bullet during crossfire on Wednesday as the violence between Sudan’s army and its paramilitary force continues in the capital city Khartoum.
Abdelmajid, who is said to have turned 80 this year, was one of Sudan’s first professional actors, first gaining traction with her stage performances. She was buried shortly after the shooting within the grounds of a kindergarten where she most recently worked. Her family said it was too dangerous to take her to a cemetery, the BBC reported.
It is still unclear who fired the shot that killed Abdelmajid, who lived in Northern Khartoum. Abdelmajid was the widow of acclaimed Sudanese poet Mohamed Moftah Al Faitory.
Violence between Sudan’s military and the country’s paramilitary force first erupted in the middle of April and has killed hundreds of people and sent thousands fleeing for safety, as a burgeoning civil war threatens to destabilize the wider region.
The violence is the result of an apparent power struggle between the two factions, who together toppled a civilian government in an October 2021 coup. Earlier this week, the UN reported that more than 100,000 people have fled Sudan since fighting broke out on April 15. More than 500 people have been killed, and more than 4,000 have been wounded, according to Sudan’s health ministry, the BBC reported.
UN officials have warned of a “full-blown catastrophe” if the fighting does not end. Saudi Arabia has been touted as a potential venue for truce talks between both factions.
