Shelling kills at least 31 in Sudan’s El Fasher, activists and doctors say
August 16, 2025 (EL FASHER) – At least 31 civilians were killed and dozens were injured in heavy shelling by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on the capital of North Darfur state, El Fasher, and a nearby displacement camp on Saturday, activists and medics said.
The attack is the most intense bombardment in days on the North Darfur capital, the last army stronghold in the vast western region, where fighting has escalated since Monday.
The Sudan Doctors Network, an activist group, said in a statement that 31 people were killed, including seven children and a pregnant woman, when artillery fire hit the Abu Shouk camp for displaced people.
Eyewitnesses told Sudan Tribune that 11 of the dead were worshippers killed inside a mosque in the camp.
El Fasher has been under a de facto siege by the RSF since April 2024, severely restricting the flow of food and life-saving medicine, according to residents and aid groups.
“The attack was launched at a time when the camp is suffering from a severe shortage of medicine, medical staff, and food… which exacerbates the humanitarian catastrophe,” the doctors’ network said. It said the targeting of a camp for displaced people could amount to a war crime.
Video clips have circulated in recent days, appearing to show Colombian mercenaries participating in the RSF’s battle for the city.
The El Fasher Resistance Committees Coordination, another activist group, called Saturday’s bombardment the “most violent in a long time,” saying it began in the early morning and created “a state of panic and terror,” forcing new waves of displacement.
The emergency room at the Abu Shouk camp said its northern section was hit and that among the dead were volunteer activists and members of its humanitarian response team.
The United Nations is investigating reports that RSF fighters carried out field executions of civilians after penetrating the camp during an attack last week, before the army retook the positions.