A New Tragedy in Sudan’s Escalating Darfur Conflict
Darfur — The conflict in Sudan’s Darfur region has taken a deadly new turn after a reported drone and artillery attack by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) struck a displacement shelter in El Fasher, North Darfur. The assault, which occurred on October 10–11, 2025, has left at least 60 civilians dead, according to local activists.
The Dar al-Arqam shelter, situated within a university compound, was home to hundreds of displaced families fleeing previous waves of fighting. The El Fasher Resistance Committee, a local civil group, described the incident as a “massacre”, saying many of the victims were women, children, and elderly people. Eyewitnesses reported that several bodies remained trapped beneath rubble following the bombardment.
The Last Major City Under Siege
El Fasher, once a bustling regional capital, has become the last major city in Darfur not under RSF control. For more than a year, it has endured a relentless siege that has cut off food, medicine, and humanitarian assistance.
UN agencies and aid groups have repeatedly warned that tens of thousands face starvation, with hospitals running out of supplies and disease spreading rapidly in overcrowded camps.
Just days before this latest attack, UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk condemned the RSF for killing at least 53 civilians between October 5 and 8, in assaults that included strikes on the Saudi Hospital and a local mosque.
War Crimes Allegations and International Outrage
The El Fasher assault comes amid mounting allegations of war crimes by both the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF).
International observers say the timing of this attack is especially provocative, following the International Criminal Court’s conviction of a former Janjaweed militia leader for war crimes committed in Darfur two decades ago, a militia from which the RSF later evolved.
Human rights organizations are urging for immediate international investigation, warning that the pattern of indiscriminate attacks on civilians may constitute crimes against humanity.
RSF Denials and Disputed Claims
The Rapid Support Forces, led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemetti), have not issued an official statement regarding the El Fasher strikes. In past incidents, the RSF has claimed to be targeting military positions near displacement sites assertions that have been widely disputed by local activists and humanitarian organizations, who insist that the attacks deliberately strike civilian areas.
Meanwhile, the Sudanese Armed Forces, entrenched in the capital Khartoum and other northern cities, continue to accuse the RSF of “systematic atrocities” aimed at depopulating Darfur’s remaining urban centers.
A Humanitarian Crisis Without End
Over nine million people are now displaced across Sudan, according to the United Nations, in what has become one of the world’s fastest-growing humanitarian disasters.
With El Fasher under siege and communication networks down, aid agencies have warned that entire communities are at risk of disappearing without international protection.
As the conflict intensifies, regional diplomats are calling for renewed peace efforts but with both the RSF and SAF entrenched in a struggle for total control, prospects for de-escalation remain bleak.
0 Comments