At least 41 civilians, including women and children, were killed and dozens more injured during an artillery attack by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur State, the Sudanese army said in a statement on Tuesday.
According to the military, the RSF launched heavy shelling on residential areas of the city on Monday night. The Sudanese army claimed it successfully repelled the assault, killing 600 RSF fighters and destroying 25 military vehicles in the process. The RSF has not issued a response to these claims.
The renewed fighting has worsened humanitarian conditions in the region, forcing local charity kitchens to suspend food distributions to civilians. El-Fasher, a vital hub for humanitarian aid across Darfur, has been gripped by intense clashes between the RSF and the Sudanese army since May 2024, despite repeated international warnings about the risks of escalating violence in the city.
Earlier this month, the RSF claimed control of the Zamzam refugee camp near El-Fasher following heavy fighting. United Nations figures estimate that at least 400 civilians have been killed and nearly 400,000 displaced due to the conflict in the city.
The broader conflict between the RSF and the Sudanese army began on April 15, 2023, plunging the country into one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises. While official estimates place the death toll at over 20,000, independent research from U.S.-based scholars suggests that the actual number of fatalities could be as high as 130,000. The war has also displaced over 15 million people, according to the UN and local authorities.
With no ceasefire in sight, international observers warn that the conflict’s toll on civilians—especially in cities like El-Fasher—could grow even more devastating.
