El Fasher, Sudan – Violence erupted in the Zamzam camp in North Darfur as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) launched a brutal attack, causing widespread abuses against displaced people and forcing thousands to flee towards the city of El Fasher.
The RSF has been targeting the camp since early December, using heavy artillery fire to inflict casualties among the displaced population and displacing thousands of individuals. The camp, located approximately 12 kilometers southwest of El Fasher, is home to nearly two million displaced people and is already facing severe famine.
Governor Minni Arko Minawi of the Darfur region strongly condemned the RSF’s actions, stating that the militia violated the Zamzam camp. He called on the United Nations and the African Union to intervene and put an end to what he described as terrorism and genocide.
Eyewitnesses reported that a large RSF force infiltrated the camp from various directions, firing indiscriminately on groups of displaced people, looting and burning the market, and raiding homes and civilian vehicles. The RSF forces, in their celebration, set fire to a camp used by the Gathering of Sudan Liberation Forces.
The attack prompted a mass exodus of displaced people towards El Fasher, where bloody confrontations between warring factions in North Darfur continue to escalate. Doctors Without Borders expressed grave concern for the safety of their staff and the inhabitants of Zamzam camp, who already face bombardment and hunger.
The humanitarian organization highlighted the challenges faced in providing medical care to those in need, as the field hospital in Zamzam is ill-equipped to handle severe injuries requiring surgery. It also noted the difficulties in transporting critical patients to a hospital in El Fasher due to ongoing violent clashes in the region.
The RSF’s aggressive tactics in the western countryside of El Fasher have led to the displacement of numerous villages, further straining resources in the already overwhelmed Zamzam camp. The RSF’s objective appears to be tightening control over El Fasher, the last bastion of central authority in the Darfur region.
Calls for the protection of civilians and humanitarian workers have intensified as the conflict in North Darfur shows no signs of abating. The continued violence not only exacerbates the already dire humanitarian situation but also threatens the lives and well-being of innocent bystanders caught in the crossfire.