SLM demands international prosecution for RSF’s second commander
April 19, 2025 (EL FASHER) – The Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) led by Minni Minawi on Saturday called for Abdel Rahim Daglo, second-in-command of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), to face international justice for allegedly leading and executing a massacre at the Zamzam camp for displaced people in North Darfur.
The RSF seized control of Zamzam camp, 12 km (about 7.5 miles) southwest of El Fasher, on April 14 following three days of clashes that killed 400 displaced people, including women, children, and aid workers, according to the United Nations (UN).
SLM spokesperson Sadiq Ali Al-Nur said in a statement obtained by Sudan Tribune that Daglo’s “appearance… inside the Zamzam camp… confirms that he led and carried out the massacre. Therefore, he must be brought to international justice along with those who participated in the heinous crime.”
Al-Nur welcomed a statement from UN Security Council members condemning RSF attacks on El Fasher city and the Abu Shouk and Zamzam camps, calling it “a fresh blow to the RSF and its supporters.”
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates the assault on Zamzam camp forced up to 80,000 families (around 400,000 people) to flee. Approximately 30,000 families went to El Fasher and 36,000 to Tawila, with the rest scattering to other areas in North and Central Darfur, the IOM said.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) reported receiving 25,000 displaced people from Zamzam in Tawila. Among them were 170 people with gunshot or explosion wounds, 40% of whom were women and children. MSF said it referred a further 1,600 people requiring emergency care due to their critical condition upon arrival.
MSF also noted that survivors reported losing at least one relative during the attack. Fighters reportedly stormed homes, shot people hiding inside, and burned large parts of dwellings, according to accounts gathered by the aid group.
Al-Nur added that the Security Council had called for RSF accountability, demanding an end to the El Fasher siege and the fighting, accountability for attacks on civilians, and civilian protection measures.
On Friday, Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also welcomed the Security Council statement, its condemnation of the RSF attack on the Abu Shouk and El Fasher camps, and the calls for RSF accountability for targeting civilians and lifting the siege on El Fasher city.
The RSF has tightened its nearly year-long siege on El Fasher, blocking goods and humanitarian aid from entering the city, after destroying most water sources and shelling markets and health facilities, according to reports.