The UN humanitarian agency said Monday that more than 300 civilians were killed over two days of heavy violence in Sudan’s troubled Darfur region, as the country’s devastating civil war nears its second year.
The killings occurred when Sudan’s widely feared paramilitary group launched assaults on two famine-stricken camps for displaced people in North Darfur and near its capital on Friday and Saturday. Initial reports indicated over 100 deaths, including 20 children and nine humanitarian workers, according to a U.N. official.
Attacks on Darfur camps in Sudan leave at least 100 people dead
However, on Monday, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the civilian death toll was significantly higher, based on unnamed local sources. Due to the situation on the ground and communication barriers, the Associated Press has not been able to independently verify the figures.
Sudan descended into conflict on April 15, 2023, following a breakdown in relations between the country's military and paramilitary leaders. What began in the capital, Khartoum, quickly spread across Sudan, including the vast Darfur region. Since then, the U.N. estimates at least 24,000 people have been killed, though rights groups claim the actual number is much greater.
The latest attacks were carried out by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), shortly after the Sudanese military reclaimed control of Khartoum in late March — a major symbolic achievement in the ongoing war.
The conflict has created the world’s largest humanitarian and displacement crisis, making Sudan the only country currently facing famine, according to international organisations.
U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said OCHA has received alarming reports of large numbers of casualties and extensive displacement in and around the Zamzam and Abu Shorouk camps, as well as in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur. El Fasher is the only Darfur state capital still held by the military, while the RSF controls the others. North Darfur is one of five states in the region.
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“Initial figures from local sources suggest that over 300 civilians have died, including 10 humanitarian workers with the NGO Relief International, who were killed while running one of the few remaining health centres in Zamzam camp,” Dujarric said.
This escalation comes just before a conference in London on Tuesday marking the anniversary of the war. Hosted by the UK, the EU, Germany, and France, the event is expected to gather more than 20 foreign ministers along with representatives from international organisations.
Dujarric said the U.N. hopes the conference will lead to a unified push from Sudan’s neighbours and the broader international community to seek peace rather than continue fuelling the violence.
Also on Tuesday, the U.N. Security Council is scheduled to hold emergency closed-door talks on Sudan.
Meanwhile, the U.N.’s migration agency reported Monday that the RSF’s recent attacks in Zamzam camp have forced 60,000 to 80,000 families to flee within the last two days. Most remain within El Fasher, which is under military control but has been surrounded by the RSF for over a year.
Mamadou Dian Balde, regional director for the U.N. refugee agency, told journalists during a video briefing that “widespread human rights violations” have driven nearly 13 million Sudanese from their homes — including 4 million who have crossed into neighbouring countries. While most fled to nearby nations, over 200,000 have reached Libya and about 70,000 have gone to Uganda, he added.
Balde noted that the U.N. refugee agency’s $1.8 billion appeal to support displaced Sudanese and their host communities has only received 10% of the required funding. He warned that without more resources, people may start moving toward southern and eastern Africa, Gulf countries, and Europe.
“We sincerely hope tomorrow’s London conference will generate stronger support for our Sudanese brothers and sisters who have been forced to flee,” Balde said.