Sudan North Darfur Battles - 'Hundreds Dead and Tens of Thousands Flee' As RSF Claims Control of Zamzam and Umm Kaddadah

MSF

Displaced people reaching Tawila locality. They mainly come from El Fasher and surrounding camps, like Zamzam and Abu Shok, and report extreme violence, repeated shelling, skyrocketing commodity prices, and food shortages as the main reasons to move (file photo).

13 April 2025

Dabanga (Port Sudan)

El Fasher / Zamzam Camp / Umm Keddada / — Hundreds of civilians, including women and children, have reportedly been killed and wounded in shelling, as the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) 'tightened their control' in what has gone over into a ground offensive on Zamzam camp for displaced people. The attacks have forced 'tens of thousands' of the inhabitants of Zamzam and Abou Shouk camps to flee to the adjacent North Darfur capital El Fasher. 150 kilometres East of the capital, more than 100 civilians, including women, were reportedly killed and wounded during the RSF conquest of Umm Kaddadah [alt Umm Keddada].

Sudan Liberation Movement, led by Minni Minawi (SLM-MM) report the killing of 450 people in artillery shelling and a ground attack by the RSF towards Zamzam and Abu Shouk camps. This amid RSF clams to be 'in complete control over the Zamzam camp'. The RSF statement says that it has "deployed of military units to secure civilians and workers in the humanitarian medical field in the camp" after "liberating it" from what it termed "the Islamic Movement Army" [referring to Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF)] and its affiliates from the armed movements, which it said were "using the camp as a military barracks and civilians as human shields."

However, SAF counter-statements deny this, with the 6th Infantry Division claiming that they have "control of the security situation in the city of El Fasher and Zamzam camp for the displaced, after repelling a new attack by the RSF from the southeastern side of the camp".

The 6th Infantry Division announced in a statement on Sunday that the army's drones destroyed four combat vehicles that were trying to infiltrate southeast of El Fasher city. The division announced in its statement the killing of seven citizens and the wounding of three others in a RSF attack with drones on residential neighbourhoods in El Fasher city on Sunday, "killing 74 citizens, including four women and 10 children, and the wounding of 17 on Friday morning".

Tens of thousands fled Zamzam to El Fasher on foot

In this context, the Sudan Liberation Movement led by Minni Minawi said in a statement on Sunday that for the third consecutive day, the Rapid Support Forces continued their artillery shelling, in addition to the ground attack, on the Zamzam and Abu Shouk camps and El Fasher, which led to the deaths of about 450 individuals so far, in addition to the militia executing nine workers of the International Relief Organization inside their offices in Zamzam camp. as well as thousands of injuries.

Elsadig Ali El Nur, the movement's official spokesman, said in a statement that the RSF attack on Zamzam camp led to the displacement of tens of thousands towards El Fasher city on foot since yesterday morning. El Fasher's houses were unable to accommodate them, so they entered shelters and schools and slept on the ground under the shade of trees or under the scorching sun, in light of the lack of drinking water, food and medicine.

In his statement, the official spokesman called on the leadership of the armed forces to move quickly to save the lives of about one and a half million people in El Fasher by supporting the army, the joint force and the supporters, and that this happens as soon as possible to avoid unfortunate consequences, as happened in El Geneina.

Medics murdered

In a related development, relief organizations and the United Nations said that RSF killed the entire staff of the last remaining hospital in Zamzam camp. The International Relief Organization (IRO), which runs the Zamzam camp, said that the RSF attacked the camp's perimeter on Friday evening after shelling it for hours. The organization explained that the attacking forces destroyed hundreds of homes and the main market before attacking its field hospital, killing nine staff members, including a doctor. IRO described what happened to its staff at the Zamzam camp as a great tragedy.

For its part, the Sudanese Doctors Network confirmed the killing of 10 medical personnel in North Darfur over two days, six of whom were killed by RSF forces at Zamzam camp, in addition to the killing of the director of Um Keddada Hospital. In a statement, the Sudanese Doctors Network described the systematic targeting of medical personnel inside health facilities as a clear escalation of killings. The RSF denied the contents of video clips about violations they are accused of committing in Zamzam camp, describing the clips as "misleading". It said that it is "committed to international humanitarian law and strongly rejects all attempts to tarnish its reputation".

International condemnation

Internationally, the UN Resident Coordinator in Sudan said that the attack on Zamzam camp near El Fasher is a deadly escalation against displaced people and aid workers. The UN Coordinator said in a statement that the attack on Zamzam "represents yet another deadly and unacceptable escalation in a series of brutal attacks on displaced people and aid workers since the outbreak of the conflict." She called for an immediate halt to these acts and an end to attacks on civilians and humanitarian workers. She indicated that she was deeply alarmed by reports from Zamzam and Abu Shouk camps and El Fasher city and expressed her fear that 100 people, including 20 children, were killed. She confirmed that nine humanitarian workers were killed while operating one of the remaining health centres still operating in Zamzam camp. The UN Coordinator explained in her statement that Abu Shouk and Zamzam camps are among the largest displacement camps in Darfur, housing more than 700,000 displaced people, who are once again caught in the crossfire with nowhere safe to go.

More than 10,000 people fled Umm Keddada

In addition, the Rapid Support Forces' attack on Umm Keddada, according to local sources who spoke to Radio Dabanga, led to the flight of more than 10,000 residents of the city to neighbouring villages and areas in search of security and protection. The attack also led to the outbreak of fires in the city. Crimes of the Rapid Support Forces' use of heavy weapons. On Saturday, activists from Umm Keddada published a preliminary list of the names of (56) people killed by the Rapid Support Forces, including the medical director and other medical personnel at Umm Keddada Hospital. Another list was also published with the names of 14 missing persons. The activists confirmed that the published lists and names were preliminary, as the inventory process is still ongoing. For their part, the Sudanese Group for the Defence of Rights and Freedoms and the Darfur Bar Association denounced the Rapid Support Forces' violations in the city of Umm Keddada. The group said in a statement that the Rapid Support Forces had surrounded the city during the past five days, killing dozens of its residents, wounding others, and forcing thousands to flee to the mountains and neighbouring villages.

In this context, Emergency Lawyers reported in a statement on Sunday that the support forces, during their attack on Umm Keddada, killed 52 civilians after entering the city, along with widespread burning of homes and looting of property. They also stormed the local hospital, assaulted patients, and executed medical staff. Sources, according to Emergency Lawyers, indicate that dozens of residents of the city are missing, in addition to a mass displacement of residents.

Read the original article on Dabanga.