How Did the Paramilitary Forces Attack Claim 31 Lives in Sudan?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Recent RSF attack resulted in 31 fatalities in El Fasher.
- A significant number of victims included women and children.
- The ongoing conflict has led to severe humanitarian crises.
- RSF has been accused of systematic targeting of civilians.
- Urgent international intervention is needed to protect vulnerable populations.
Khartoum, Aug 17 (NationPress) A tragic incident occurred in the city of El Fasher, western Sudan, where at least 31 individuals lost their lives, including seven children and a pregnant woman. Additionally, 13 others sustained injuries in an assault by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), as reported by various volunteer organizations.
The Sudan Doctors Network, a volunteer organization, issued a statement on Saturday condemning the RSF for committing a “heinous crime” by deliberately targeting the Abu Shouk displacement camp with artillery fire.
The ongoing blockade of El Fasher has resulted in dire shortages of medicine, medical personnel, and food, leaving thousands of displaced women and children vulnerable to severe hardship, the organization warned.
According to the Abu Shouk Emergency Room, there was intense artillery bombardment on the northern side of the camp on Saturday, leading to over 30 fatalities.
The Coordination of Resistance Committees in El Fasher, another volunteer group, reported that the RSF's assault commenced early in the morning and persisted past noon, instilling fear among civilians, prompting further displacement, and causing numerous injuries alongside significant damage to homes and infrastructure.
As of now, there has been no immediate response from the RSF regarding the attack, as per reports from the Xinhua news agency.
The conflict in Sudan began in April 2023, rooted in a power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF. This turmoil has devastated the country's infrastructure, leading to tens of thousands of deaths, millions of displacements, and a grave humanitarian crisis.
El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur and the last significant city in the expansive Darfur region not under RSF control, has become the focal point of this conflict, facing a siege from the RSF since May 2024.
Earlier this month, volunteer groups reported that at least 16 individuals were killed and eight others injured in an RSF attack on a village in North Kordofan State, western Sudan.
The network condemned this act as a “brutal attack”, labeling it a full-scale “war crime” and illustrating a systematic pattern of the RSF's targeting of civilians in Sudan.
The Coordination of Resistance Committees in North Kordofan also confirmed that 16 civilians lost their lives in the RSF's attack on the village of Markaz Al-Ziyadiya, while several others were either injured or abducted.
The statement revealed that an armed RSF group launched an assault on civilians within their homes, seizing their properties during the chaos.