On Saturday, the United Nations reported that more than 100 people, including 20 children, are feared dead in Sudan following paramilitary attacks on the besieged Darfur city of El-Fasher and two nearby famine-hit camps. The attacks were carried out by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which have been engaged in conflict with the regular army since April 2023. On Friday, the RSF launched coordinated ground and aerial assaults on El-Fasher and the Zamzam and Abu Shouk displacement camps.
The RSF’s aggressive tactics in recent weeks have included heightened attacks on El-Fasher, the only state capital in Darfur not under their control, particularly after the army recaptured the national capital Khartoum last month. Initial reports from a local resistance committee, a volunteer aid group in El-Fasher, indicated a death toll of 57 from Friday’s violence, with 32 civilians killed in El-Fasher and 25 in Zamzam. In contrast, the army later reported that 74 civilians were killed with 17 wounded in El-Fasher alone.
Activists have expressed concern that the full extent of the damage in Zamzam remains unclear due to internet shutdowns and communication disruptions. The Sudanese Organisation for the Protection of Civilians stated that among the deceased were nine humanitarian workers operating a hospital in Zamzam managed by an international non-governmental organization. UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, Clementine Nkweta-Salami, condemned their deaths, emphasizing that these acts represent a grave escalation of violence against displaced people and aid workers in Sudan since the conflict began nearly two years ago. She urged the perpetrators to cease such actions immediately.
The RSF has dismissed a video, purportedly shared by activists, showing alleged civilian casualties in Zamzam, labeling it as a fabricated attempt to discredit their forces. According to a local advocacy group, the Darfur General Coordination of Camps for the Displaced and Refugees, heavy clashes and gunfire resumed on Saturday morning in Zamzam.
Zamzam was noted as the first location in Sudan where a UN-backed assessment declared famine last year. By December, famine had also extended to two nearby camps, Abu Shouk and Al Salam, with predictions indicating that El-Fasher itself might face famine conditions by May. Since the outbreak of the war in April 2023, the conflict has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands and the displacement of more than 12 million people. Both parties involved have faced accusations of committing war crimes and violating international humanitarian law.
