In a tragic escalation of violence in Sudan, over 100 individuals, including 20 children, are now feared dead following a series of paramilitary attacks on the besieged city of El-Fasher and two nearby displacement camps struggling with famine. The United Nations reported this dire situation on Saturday, highlighting the alarming frequency and intensity of assaults by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), who have been in conflict with the national army since April 2023.
On Friday, the RSF conducted synchronized ground and aerial assaults targeting El-Fasher as well as the Zamzam and Abu Shouk displacement camps. This follows a notable increase in aggression towards El-Fasher, the last major city in Darfur still outside RSF control, especially after the army regained the national capital Khartoum just last month.
Initial reports from local resistance committees indicated that the death toll from Friday’s assaults reached 57—32 civilians were reported killed in El-Fasher and 25 in the Zamzam camp. This figure was later contested by the army, which stated that 74 civilians were killed and an additional 17 injured in El-Fasher alone. The full repercussions of the violence in Zamzam remain uncertain, attributed largely to internet blackouts and disruptions in communication that hinder accurate reporting.
Among the deceased were nine humanitarian workers affiliated with an international non-governmental organization operating a medical facility in the Zamzam camp, drawing a strong condemnation from the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, Clementine Nkweta-Salami. She emphasized the critical role these health workers play amidst the ongoing conflict, describing their deaths as part of a “brutal escalation of attacks on displaced people and aid workers” since the conflict began nearly two years ago.
Nkweta-Salami’s statement urged accountability for those committing such acts, calling for an immediate cessation of violence. In a concurrent response, the RSF dismissed a video shared by activists which purportedly depicts the civilian casualties in Zamzam, labeling it a fabricated attempt to discredit the paramilitary forces.
As the violence continued, the Darfur General Coordination of Camps for the Displaced and Refugees reported renewed attacks in Zamzam on Saturday, marked by sustained gunfire and clashes. Notably, Zamzam was the site of Sudan’s first UN-backed assessment of famine last year, with the crisis extending to nearby camps, including Abu Shouk and Al Salam, by December. It is anticipated that El-Fasher may face famine conditions by May.
The ongoing conflict has already claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced over 12 million people since it erupted in April 2023. Both warring factions have faced allegations of war crimes and violations of international humanitarian law, further complicating an already devastating humanitarian crisis in the region. As the situation develops, the international community watches with concern, fearing the long-term ramifications of continued violence in Sudan.
