Intense fighting between Sudan’s military and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have left over 130 people dead in Darfur region of Sudan.
.The RSF is a paramilitary force made up mostly of the Janjaweed militia. They were formerly under control of the Sudanese government.
Artillery fire between the army and the RSF escalated in recent weeks, resulting in high civilian casualties. The UN warns there is a growing risk of genocide in the region. Human Rights Watch reports widespread war crimes by the RSF against the ethnic Massalit and other non-Arab populations in and around El Geneina.
Doctors Without Borders reports the conflict in El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur province, has also resulted in nearly a thousand injuries.
DWB stated, “This is a sign of the violent intensity of the fighting.” It urged the combatants on both sides to prioritize civilian protection.
The clashes escalated earlier this month, forcing thousands to flee their homes. El-Fasher has become a focal point in the ongoing conflict, serving as the last military stronghold in Darfur.
Sudan’s conflict erupted in April last year due to mounting tensions between military leaders and the RSF. It led to widespread violence in the capital city, Khartoum, and other regions. Since the conflict started, more than 14,000 people have been killed. Reports of sexual violence and other atrocities have been labeled war crimes and crimes against humanity by rights groups.
Risks Of Starvation
The violence has also exacerbated the humanitarian crisis in Sudan, pushing the population towards famine. If humanitarian aid is not allowed into Darfur, aid agencies warn, the population will be at severe risk of starvation in the coming weeks.
“A human tragedy of epic proportions is on the horizon, but it can, and must, be prevented.”
U.N. Aid worker
In recent months, the RSF has intensified efforts to seize control of El-Fasher, besieging the city and launching attacks from its southern and eastern fronts. Renewed clashes were reported on Thursday in the Abu Shouk camp for displaced people and other parts of the city.
One aid worker died on Saturday when a shell hit their house near the main market. U.N. Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, Clementine Nkweta-Salami, condemned the killing and called for an end to the fighting. Hundreds of thousands of civilians are “caught in the crossfire of war”, without a route to escape, she said.
“A human tragedy of epic proportions is on the horizon, but it can, and must, be prevented,” Nkweta-Salami warned.
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