At least 300 civilians have been killed in attacks by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on refugee camps in Sudan’s Darfur over the weekend, according to the United Nations.
The assault on Friday and Saturday around the Zamzam and Abu Shouk displacement camps and the city of el-Fasher has also displaced about 400,000 people, the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM) said in a report released on Monday, quoting unverified “local sources”.
The numbers came as Sudan marked the grim second anniversary of its civil war, with reports of atrocities and famine mounting, in what has been described as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
Among those killed in the attacks were 10 humanitarian personnel from Relief International Sudan, who had been operating one of the last functioning health centres in Zamzam, the UN said.
Satellite imagery showed burning buildings and smoke in the camp on Friday.
By Sunday, the RSF had taken control of the Zamzam camp. The UN reported that the assault had displaced between 60,000 and 80,000 households – or up to 400,000 people.
The war erupted on April 15, 2023, amid a power struggle between the military government and the RSF.
At least 20,000 people have been killed and 13 million displaced, with almost four million crossing into neighbouring countries, the UN report noted.
Both the army and the RSF have been accused of atrocities and war crimes.
Last month, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) secured a significant victory against the RSF after recapturing the capital, Khartoum. That has drawn more attacks from the RSF, which controls virtually all of the Darfur region, threatening a possible partition of the country.
The RSF has asserted that the Zamzam camp was being used as a base for SAF-aligned groups.
In a video shared by the paramilitary force, RSF second-in-command Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, is seen speaking to a small group of displaced people, promising them food, water, medical care and a return to their homes.
Al Jazeera’s Hiba Morgan, reporting from Ombada, said even within Khartoum, the military is still carrying out operations to find remaining RSF fighters, before advancing to other areas.
“Regaining Khartoum has taken the army nearly two years of street-to-street battles,” Morgan reported.
The RSF also accelerated drone attacks on the Atbara power station on Monday, cutting off power to the wartime capital of Port Sudan.
Grim anniversary
“Two years into a devastating war, Sudan remains in a crisis of staggering proportions, with civilians paying the highest price,” said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in a statement released late on Monday.
“Indiscriminate shelling and air strikes continue to kill and maim. Markets, hospitals, schools, places of worship and displacement sites are being attacked. Sexual violence is rampant, with women and girls subjected to horrific acts. Civilians suffer from gross violations and abuses from all warring parties.”
The Zamzam and Abu Shouk camps, which sheltered some 700,000 people who had fled their homes, have been stricken with famine, and aid workers cannot reach them because of the fighting.
Half of Sudan’s population of 50 million faces hunger. The World Food Programme has confirmed famine in 10 locations, and says it could spread, putting millions in danger of starvation.
“This abominable conflict has continued for two years too long,” said Kashif Shafique, country director for Relief International Sudan.
“Every moment we wait, more lives hang in the balance,” he added, calling for the world to ensure a ceasefire for what has been called a “forgotten war”.
The United Kingdom announced on Tuesday that it would contribute $158m in new aid for Sudan as it opened an international conference focused on humanitarian help for the stricken country.
The conference will also discuss finding a “pathway” to peace as fears increase that the conflict could spill over Sudan’s borders and stir further instability in the impoverished Horn of Africa region.
However, the government in Sudan has complained that it has not been invited to attend.
