Amnesty International has issued a damning report documenting systematic war crimes committed by Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) during their April assault on Zamzam camp, the nation’s largest displacement settlement in the Darfur region. The comprehensive investigation reveals a pattern of atrocities including civilian executions, hostage-taking, and the deliberate destruction of essential infrastructure including mosques, schools, and medical facilities.
The paramilitary group’s multi-day offensive on the camp, situated near el-Fasher—North Darfur’s provincial capital which subsequently fell to RSF control in October—represents what Amnesty describes as a sustained campaign targeting vulnerable populations. According to eyewitness accounts compiled by the organization, RSF fighters engaged in indiscriminate shooting in populated areas, sexual violence against women and girls, and the widespread burning of residential structures and markets.
The attack, which occurred on April 11-12, effectively emptied the two-decade-old camp that had provided sanctuary to approximately 500,000 people originally displaced by earlier conflicts. Survivors recounted harrowing details to investigators, including the targeted killing of 47 individuals who had sought refuge in homes, clinics, and places of worship. One shell reportedly struck near a mosque during wedding ceremonies, causing multiple casualties.
This incident occurs within the broader context of Sudan’s devastating 30-month civil war between the RSF and national military forces, which has claimed an estimated 40,000 lives and created the world’s most severe humanitarian crisis with over 14 million displaced. Both sides face allegations of atrocities, though the RSF—which evolved from the notorious Janjaweed militias responsible for early 2000s genocide in Darfur—faces particular international scrutiny.
Amnesty Secretary-General Agnès Callamard condemned the ‘horrific and deliberate assault on desperate, hungry civilians,’ while simultaneously criticizing the United Arab Emirates for its alleged material support to the RSF. The UAE has consistently denied arms transfer accusations.
International response continues to intensify, with the U.S. government accusing the RSF of genocide in Darfur and the International Criminal Court conducting active investigations into suspected war crimes throughout the conflict.