Over 100 civilians, aid workers killed in Sudan, UN says

The Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group struck several locations in Sudan on Friday, killing over 100 civilians and aid workers. RSF launched air and ground attacks on two displacement camps and the town of Al Fasher in North Darfur province, according to a Friday United Nations statement.

More than 20 children were feared to be among the victims, and nine humanitarian workers were confirmed dead, wrote UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, Clementine Nkweta-Salami. She urged warring forces to heed a 2024 UN resolution that asked the RSF to stop besieging the town of Al Fasher and to protect civilians.

How many people were in harm’s way? The Zamzam and Abu Shouk displacement camps, where several attacks took place, are some of the largest such camps in the Darfur region. More than 700,000 people live in the camps as a result of ongoing violence in Sudan, according to the UN.

How did the fighting start? The internal war began in April 2023 after the RSF and government-affiliated troops, who jointly orchestrated a 2019 coup, could not agree on how to share power. More than 8.9 million people are internally displaced due to the conflict and about 3 million others have fled to other countries, according to the UN Refugee Agency. The paramilitary group and Sudan’s military have both committed war crimes against civilians, according to a UN fact-finding mission. Both sides deny the UN’s allegations.

Dig deeper: Read my report on the forward progress of Susan’s military last month.