Hundreds killed in Sudan camp attacks
Women in Sudan (Photo: ERA/DIEGO MENJIBAR)
Over 100 civilians, including at least 20 minors and medical workers, have lost their lives in a series of assaults that commenced late last week in the Darfur area of western Sudan, as reported by the BBC based on details from the UN.
The strikes on the city of El Fasher and two camps for internally displaced individuals in the region have been linked to the paramilitary “Sudan Rapid Response Force.” They have refuted the claims, asserting that the reports regarding the assaults are “fabricated.”
The Zamzam and Abu Shuk camps shelter more than 700,000 people, the majority of whom are living in dire conditions, teetering on the brink of starvation. These attacks occurred just before the second anniversary of the onset of the civil war between Sudanese rebels and the military.
The UN humanitarian coordinator in Sudan, Clementine Nkweta-Salami, expressed her shock at the events. Relief International reported that nine of its personnel, including physicians and drivers assisting the ill, were brutally murdered during the assault on Zamzam camp.
On April 13, a Zamzam camp resident employed in a community kitchen that provides meals for refugees informed the BBC that the situation within the camp was catastrophic. He mentioned that many youths had perished, including those who worked in the kitchen and doctors who were endeavoring to reopen the hospital. He further noted that all exits from the camp were obstructed and that the camp was encircled on all sides.
- In April 2023, a civil war erupted in Sudan stemming from disputes between two warlords, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. Both held high-ranking positions in the nation’s military government, which was established following the 2019 coup that overthrew long-time leader Omar al-Bashir.
- Sudan’s Rapid Reaction Forces, led by Hamdan Dagalo, opposed the government, claiming they aimed to establish democracy within the nation.
- On September 20, it was revealed that Ukrainian special services had likely attacked the RSF in Sudan, which is backed by the Wagner terrorist group.
- As of September 10, 2024, the death toll in the civil war in Sudan has surpassed 150,000 people.
