North Darfur: 50 killed in village attacks, thousands flee

December 20, 2024 (EL-FASHER) – At least 50 people were killed this week in attacks by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on villages south of El Fasher in Sudan’s North Darfur state, local authorities said on Friday.

The attacks on Wednesday and Thursday targeted villages in the Abu Zureiga area, according to a statement from the local administrative unit seen by Sudan Tribune. The RSF killed more than 50 civilians, including people abducted from their farms and executed, the statement said.

The violence has forced more than 6,000 families to flee their homes in the Dar es Salaam locality, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Thursday.

The RSF is accused of carrying out revenge attacks against villages inhabited by the Zaghawa ethnic group, who they believe are supporting a rival force battling the RSF in El Fasher.

The Abu Zureiga statement condemned the attacks as “ethnic targeting” aimed at “exterminating and displacing” civilians. It said the RSF also burned homes, looted property and livestock, destroyed markets, and assaulted women, children, and the elderly.