KHARTOUM, April 14: In one of the deadliest escalations since the onset of Sudan’s civil war, the UAE-backed Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have killed more than 200 civilians in a string of assaults on displacement camps and nearby areas in El Fasher, the final major city still held by the Sudanese army in the Darfur region.
Among the casualties, at least 56 civilians were reportedly killed over two days of brutal RSF assaults in Um Kadadah, a town strategically located en route to El Fasher and now under RSF control.
The United Nations has reported that the killings are ongoing at two major displacement camps. One of the most horrific incidents occurred at the Zamzam camp, where RSF forces completely wiped out the medical personnel of Relief International—an organization operating the last functioning clinic in the camp. On Sunday, RSF units were reportedly setting buildings ablaze across Zamzam, allegedly searching for Sudanese government forces believed to be hiding within the camp premises.
The conflict in Darfur continues to intensify, with violence reaching unprecedented levels. The war between the Sudanese army and RSF, which erupted in 2023, has claimed tens of thousands of lives, displaced over 12 million people, and led the International Rescue Committee to declare it “the largest humanitarian crisis ever documented.”
The Sudanese government has accused the United Arab Emirates of fueling the conflict by backing the RSF, particularly in what Khartoum describes as a genocide targeting the non-Arab Masalit population in Darfur.
On Thursday, Sudan took legal action against the UAE at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), charging the Gulf state with creating the “driving force” behind the ongoing atrocities. The Sudanese administration is demanding that the UAE halt its support to the RSF and provide full reparations, including compensation for the war’s victims.
The humanitarian situation in Darfur remains dire, with continued displacement, loss of lives, and attacks on critical civilian infrastructure drawing urgent calls for international intervention.
