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At least 40 people have been killed in an attack on a camp for displaced people in Sudan’s western Darfur region, according to an aid group working there.
The Abu Shouk Emergency Response Room said Monday’s assault on Abu Shouk camp, home to about 200,000 people, was carried out by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The resistance committee in nearby el-Fasher city — the army’s last major stronghold in Darfur — confirmed the reports.
El-Fasher itself came under heavy fire, with the UN warning that families trapped in the besieged city face starvation. Sudanese media said the camp was caught in crossfire, but the aid group reported that many victims were shot in their homes or gunned down in public.
A US-based organisation that analyses satellite images said it had identified a convoy of 40 light vehicles approaching from the north, consistent with witness accounts. The Yale Humanitarian Research Lab said it was reviewing footage allegedly showing RSF fighters shooting at fleeing civilians and using ethnic slurs.
Abu Shouk was established more than 20 years ago to shelter non-Arab communities — including the Fur and Zaghawa — fleeing Janjaweed militia attacks. The RSF traces its roots to the Janjaweed and has been accused of ethnic cleansing in Darfur during the current war, allegations it denies.
Zaghawa fighters are among those defending el-Fasher alongside the army, raising fears the RSF targeted Zaghawa civilians in the camp. Displacement camps around the city have repeatedly come under attack, including Zamzam camp in April, where over 100 people were killed.
Since Sudan’s war erupted in April 2023, tens of thousands have died, 12 million have been displaced, and famine has been declared in parts of the country.
