BEIRUT (AP) — A recent surge in violence in western Sudan has resulted in the deaths of at least 53 civilians and left more than 60 injured over a three-day period, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk. The death toll continues to rise as the conflict intensifies. Türk reported that drone and artillery strikes by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) targeted the Abu Shouk and Daraja Oula neighborhoods of el-Fasher, as well as the el-Fasher displaced persons camp, killing 46 people. Among the victims, over a dozen perished in shelling at one of the last functioning hospitals in el-Fasher. A nearby mosque, where civilians had sought refuge, was also struck. Additionally, at least seven individuals were summarily executed during ground raids by the RSF in what appears to be ethnically motivated killings. Both the RSF and the Sudanese military are under investigation by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. Türk condemned the ongoing violence, stating, ‘Despite repeated calls, including my own, for specific care to be taken to protect civilians, they continue instead to kill, injure, and displace civilians, and to attack civilian objects, including IDP shelters, hospitals, and mosques, with total disregard for international law. This must end.’ He urged U.N. Member States with direct influence to take immediate action to protect civilians and prevent further atrocities in el-Fasher and across the Darfur region. Sudan has been engulfed in conflict since 2023, when tensions between the RSF and the Sudanese military erupted. Darfur has been particularly hard-hit, with over 40,000 people killed and more than 14 million displaced. Famine has been declared in parts of the country, including Darfur. El-Fasher, the provincial capital of North Darfur, has been under siege for over a year, trapping 260,000 civilians. Hundreds of thousands have fled to Tawila, just outside el-Fasher. Denise Brown, the U.N. humanitarian coordinator in Sudan, described Tawila as ‘one of the epicenters of, frankly, what is clearly a humanitarian catastrophe here.’ She noted that about 600,000 internally displaced persons are in Tawila, mostly fleeing from el-Fasher. The U.N. humanitarian plan is only 25% funded, and local actors in el-Fasher are providing limited basic assistance, which is ‘totally insufficient.’ The U.N. is working to negotiate access to el-Fasher to address the dire situation.
UN says 53 civilians killed during 3 days of attacks in and near el-Fasher camp in western Sudan
