UN Reports Atrocities in Darfur as RSF Attacks Kill 89 in 10 Days

EL FASHER, Sudan – The UN human rights office has reported that at least 89 civilians were killed in attacks by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in North Darfur over a 10-day period, with the majority of victims appearing to be from the African Zaghawa tribe. The report underscores the escalating humanitarian and security crisis in the region, which has been under siege by the RSF for months.

A UN spokesperson confirmed the deaths, stating that 57 people were killed in an attack on the Abu Shouk displacement camp on August 11, with an additional 32 killed in the city of El Fasher and the adjacent camp between August 16 and 20. The UN noted with grave concern that at least 16 of the more recent killings appeared to be "summary executions," a serious violation of international humanitarian law.

The violence has been heavily concentrated in El Fasher, the last major stronghold of the Sudanese army in the Darfur region. The city has been under a tight blockade since July, preventing the entry of critical humanitarian aid and leaving its inhabitants at heightened risk of famine.

Victims of the attacks were predominantly from the Zaghawa tribe, with one Berti tribe member also confirmed dead. This pattern has fueled concerns among human rights observers that the attacks are ethnically motivated. In a further sign of escalating brutality, the report detailed the abduction of at least 40 men from the Abu Shouk camp, whose whereabouts remain unknown.

The conflict in Darfur, a key front in the wider war between the Sudanese army and the RSF, has been marked by widespread atrocities. Both the UN and a number of international human rights organizations have documented numerous cases of extrajudicial killings, sexual violence, and other war crimes. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has stated that it is investigating the reports of grave violations.

The UN’s findings paint a grim picture of a civilian population caught in a brutal and protracted conflict. As the international community struggles to provide aid and mediate a ceasefire, the renewed attacks threaten to plunge the region into a deeper humanitarian catastrophe.