Sudanese paramilitaries kill 165 in escalating assault, activists say

At least 165 civilians have been killed in a 10-day offensive by Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on the city of El-Fasher, the last major urban centre in Darfur not under their control, according to local activists.

The RSF, which has been engaged in a brutal civil war with Sudan’s regular army since April 2023, bombarded the besieged city with more than 750 mortar and artillery rounds, according to El-Fasher’s resistance committee, a volunteer aid and civil defence group, Caliber.Az quotes foreign media. 

The group reported the civilian death toll based on records from local health facilities, describing the attacks on homes, markets, and displacement camps as a “bloody massacre.”

The assault marks a significant escalation in the battle for El-Fasher, a strategic city in North Darfur. Fighting has intensified in recent weeks following the RSF’s retreat from Khartoum, the capital, which was reclaimed by army forces last month.

UN Secretary General António Guterres expressed grave concern over the deteriorating conditions in the region. Guterres also condemned reports of harassment, intimidation, and arbitrary detention of displaced people at RSF-controlled checkpoints.

Now in its third year, the war has killed tens of thousands and displaced over 13 million people. The country is effectively split, with the army controlling northern, eastern, and central regions, while the RSF holds most of Darfur and parts of the south.

Famine has been declared in five areas of Sudan, including three displacement camps near El-Fasher—now caught in the crossfire of the ongoing violence.

By Sabina Mammadli