As if famine wasn’t enough! More than 30 people were killed in an attack by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on Zamzam displacement camp in the outskirts of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state. The United Nations warns of catastrophic consequences as the war enters its third year.
The Sudanese Doctors Network stated yesterday, Friday, April 11, 2025, that the RSF attack on Zamzam displacement camp and artillery shelling on El Fasher city represents a new escalation in the killings carried out by the RSF for over a year.
The network reported that continued shelling and killings targeting civilians signify a progression toward genocide against more than 500,000 displaced persons, refugees, and civilians in displacement camps in North Darfur, most of whom are women and children.
The network added that today’s RSF attack resulted in the death of more than 30 people, including children and women, while 17 others were injured. The region is experiencing an extremely dire humanitarian situation marked by severe shortages of medical supplies and medications, which have only been delivered via air drops for over a year.
It is worth noting that Zamzam displacement camp was attacked today by RSF forces from both southern and eastern axes. However, the attack was repelled, according to El Fasher Resistance Committees.
Twenty-five people were killed in an RSF attack on a displacement camp near El Fasher on Friday (April 11, 2025), according to the Resistance Coordination Committee and Agence France-Presse. The committee stated that the attack launched under heavy fire targeted Zamzam camp from southern and eastern directions early this morning.
Resistance Committees supporting democracy have been coordinating aid efforts in Sudan since the outbreak of war on April 15, 2023, between the army led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF led by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (known as “Hemedti”).
Later Friday evening, AFP reported that RSF attacked El Fasher city under siege, killing 32 civilians, including 10 children. The Resistance Coordination Committee stated that RSF attacked the city with “120mm artillery shelling and snipers,” along with deploying “a fleet of suicide drones.”
In Geneva, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk expressed concerns about catastrophic consequences for civilians as the conflict enters its third year. He stated: “The ongoing senseless violent conflict should serve as a warning to all parties to lay down their arms and for the international community to act.” Türk added: “Sudan must not continue on this destructive path.”
The attack on Zamzam displacement camp followed RSF shelling of Abu Shouk camp a day earlier, which killed at least 15 civilians and injured 25 others, according to medics.
RSF has intensified efforts to gain control over all Darfur regions after losing positions in Khartoum last March.
Genocide at Abu Shouk Camp
The Governor of Darfur described what is happening to displaced persons at Abu Shouk Camp south of El Fasher and residents of Umm Kadada locality as “genocide” and a crime against humanity.
He also condemned turning Nyala University in South Darfur into a training camp for RSF forces. He called on the United Nations and humanitarian organizations for urgent intervention to save civilians targeted based on ethnic grounds.
Assassination of Umm Kadada Hospital Director
Sources reported that RSF assassinated the medical director of Umm Kadada Hospital while targeting patients receiving treatment. This reflects ongoing violations against civilians in the region. In an official statement, RSF announced its control over Umm Kadada city—a strategic center hosting Brigade 24 affiliated with Division Six in North Darfur state.
Local sources indicated that RSF launched an attack from two directions on Umm Kadada city Thursday morning, leading to fierce clashes with militia known as “Shuqara Forces,” allied with the Sudanese army. Civilian casualties were reported amidst heightened tensions.
RSF fighters shared videos online showing their control over Umm Kadada’s local headquarters, major hospital, and army command center. However, local fighters later posted videos confirming their resistance against RSF forces and regaining some areas. Despite ongoing clashes, sources suggest RSF remains present in the city while Shuqara Forces attacked them from behind, causing casualties among their ranks.
According to UN estimates, over 20,000 people have been killed and approximately 15 million displaced since war broke out between the army and RSF in April 2023. American university studies estimate death tolls at around 130,000.
Amid escalating violence, the World Food Programme announced that 25 million people face severe hunger in Sudan—including five million children and mothers suffering acute malnutrition—and warned of tens of thousands dying without immediate aid.
UNICEF also warned that 16 million children in Sudan will require humanitarian assistance this year.
“Absurd Violent Conflict”
From Geneva, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk announced on Friday that he fears catastrophic consequences for civilians as the conflict enters its third year.
He stated, “The ongoing absurd violent conflict, now in its second year, should serve as a warning to all parties to lay down their arms and for the international community to act.”
Türk added, “Sudan must not continue on this destructive path.”
The overcrowded camps in the outskirts of El Fasher, such as Zamzam Camp, have been suffering significantly since the start of the war.
Zamzam Camp, along with Abu Shouk and Al Salam Camps, is one of the three major camps in the outskirts of El Fasher.
Famine has spread across these camps and is expected to extend to five other areas in North Darfur, including El Fasher itself, according to an assessment supported by the United Nations.
Sudan, once Africa’s third-largest country by land area, is now effectively divided. The army controls vast areas in the east and north of the country, while the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) dominate most of Darfur in the west and parts of South Sudan.
Sexual Violence
The conflict has resulted in thousands of deaths, displaced over 12 million Sudanese, and caused one of the worst modern humanitarian crises, according to the United Nations and African Union.
Both the army and RSF face accusations of committing war crimes.
UN estimates indicate that around two million people are facing severe food insecurity in Sudan, with 320,000 on the brink of famine.
The International Committee of the Red Cross warned on Thursday that two-thirds of Sudanese living in war zones lack access to medical care due to the closure of most healthcare facilities.
Amnesty International condemned in a report on Thursday the suffering inflicted on civilians. It highlighted widespread sexual violence by RSF forces, which in some cases amounted to sexual enslavement.
Sudan accused the United Arab Emirates (UAE) before the International Court of Justice on Thursday of being “the driving force” behind what Khartoum describes as “genocide” in Darfur. This accusation stems from suspected UAE support for RSF forces—a claim denied by Abu Dhabi.
