Khartoum: Over the weekend, Sudan's Darfur region witnessed a horrific escalation in violence as the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) launched deadly assaults on displacement camps and surrounding areas, killing more than 300 civilians, according to the United Nations.
The attacks targeted the Zamzam and Abu Shouk camps, as well as the city of el-Fasher. The UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates that up to 400,000 people—between 60,000 to 80,000 families—have been forced to flee as a result. These figures are based on preliminary reports from local sources.
The violence coincides with the second anniversary of Sudan’s civil war, which began on April 15, 2023, due to a bitter power struggle between the country’s military and the RSF. Since then, over 20,000 people have been killed, and 13 million displaced—nearly 4 million of whom have sought refuge in neighboring countries.
Among the victims of this latest wave of violence were 10 aid workers from Relief International Sudan. The organization had been operating one of the last functional clinics in the Zamzam camp before it was overtaken by RSF forces on Sunday. Satellite images released over the weekend showed extensive damage, including burning structures and rising smoke in the area.
The RSF claimed the Zamzam camp was being used by Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) loyalists, justifying the operation. A video shared by the RSF featured its deputy leader, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo—commonly known as Hemedti—promising aid and resettlement to displaced civilians.
In Khartoum, SAF troops continue to root out remaining RSF fighters after reclaiming the capital last month. The recapture came after two years of intense urban combat. However, with the RSF maintaining strong control over Darfur, fears are growing that the conflict may fracture the country permanently.
On Monday, the RSF also intensified drone strikes, targeting the Atbara power station and cutting off electricity to Port Sudan, the wartime administrative center.
In a statement released late Monday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the ongoing violence, calling it a humanitarian disaster of immense scale. “Civilians are bearing the brunt of this relentless conflict—subjected to indiscriminate bombings, sexual violence, and mass displacement,” he said.
Conditions in Zamzam and Abu Shouk camps have reached catastrophic levels, with famine now gripping areas sheltering more than 700,000 displaced people. Aid groups report being unable to access those most in need due to the deteriorating security situation. The World Food Programme has confirmed famine in at least 10 regions, warning that millions more face imminent starvation.
Relief International’s country director, Kashif Shafique, urged immediate international intervention. “This war should have ended long ago,” he said. “Each delay puts more lives at risk.”
In response, the UK announced a $158 million aid package for Sudan during an international donor conference held Tuesday. The summit, focused on mobilizing humanitarian support and finding a roadmap to peace, notably did not include representation from Sudan’s government—a point of contention as the crisis threatens to destabilize the broader Horn of Africa.
