Renewed clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, have left at least 27 civilians dead and 130 injured, the United Nations reported Sunday.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the El Fasher South Hospital, the city’s main medical facility, has been overwhelmed by the influx of casualties. An estimated 850 people have been displaced within the city due to the fighting.
The violence follows weeks of RSF mobilization on the outskirts of El Fasher, while the SAF and allied groups reinforced their presence in the city. The UN had previously warned that some 800,000 people in El Fasher were in immediate danger as the conflict threatened to escalate.
The RSF has been accused of widespread atrocities in Darfur, including a recent report by Human Rights Watch detailing a campaign of ethnic cleansing against Masalit and other non-Arab civilians in El Geneina and other parts of West Darfur in 2023.
The report describes men and boys being singled out in attacks, though women and children were also targeted, including rapes.
The report documents the systematic removal of Massalit residents from El Geneina, with witnesses describing the RSF rounding up and shooting those attempting to escape. From April to November 2023, at least “thousands of people” were killed and “hundreds of thousands” displaced, according to the report.
Last week, the UN warned that around 800,000 people in El Fasher were in “extreme and immediate danger” as the violence escalated, threatening to spark widespread intercommunal conflict throughout Darfur.
Since the conflict between the SAF and RSF began on April 15, 2023, an estimated 15,550 people have been killed and 8.7 million displaced, according to OCHA.
“The events are among the worst atrocities against civilians so far in the current conflict in Sudan,” it added.
The conflict between the SAF and RSF has resulted in an estimated 15,550 fatalities and displaced 8.7 million people, according to OCHA.
“Unconfirmed reports indicate that at least 27 people have been killed, including women and children, while about 130 people have been injured,” the OCHA said. “El Fasher South Hospital, which has a 100-bed capacity, has surpassed its maximum capacity.”
The International Organization for Migration Displacement Tracking Matrix reported that an estimated 850 people (170 families) were displaced to various locations across the El Fasher locality due to the clashes.
