More Than 400 People Killed by Rebels in Sudan – UN says

More than 400 people have been killed in recent attacks by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan’s Darfur region, the United Nations says, citing “credible sources”.

Last week, the RSF launched a fierce ground and air offensive on refugee camps surrounding the town of El-Fasher in an attempt to capture the last capital of Darfur state held by their rival, the Sudanese army.

The two warring parties have been engaged in bloody fighting since April 2023. This has caused the world’s largest humanitarian crisis and forced millions of people to flee their homes.

The United Nations said it had confirmed 148 killings between Thursday and Saturday, but warned that the number was likely much higher.

UN spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told the BBC that their verification process was still ongoing and their numbers did not include Sunday’s violence.

“Reliable sources have reported that more than 400 have been killed,” said Ms. Shamdasani.

At least nine humanitarian aid workers were among those killed, the United Nations said.

The refugee camps surrounding El-Fasher – Zamzam and Abu Shouk – provide temporary shelter for more than 700,000 people, many of whom face famine-like conditions.

In a statement released on Saturday, RSF said it was not involved in attacks on civilians and that the killings in Zamzam were staged to tarnish the reputation of its forces.

El-Fasher is the last major town in Darfur under military control and has been under siege by the RSF for a year. Sudan’s brutal civil war will enter its third year on Tuesday.

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk called on all parties involved to “enter into a new commitment to take action to resolve the conflict”.

By: BBC