Scores killed in attacks near El Fasher,  residents and SLM say

January 27, 2025 (EL FASHER) – More than 100 people were killed in attacks on villages near El Fasher, the capital of Sudan’s North Darfur state, residents and an armed group said, attributing the violence to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The RSF has been attacking villages in the Um Keddada area, east of North Darfur’s capital, for around a week, part of what appears to be an effort to tighten its grip on the historic capital of the Darfur region, residents said.

Al-Sadiq Ali al-Nur, a spokesperson for a faction of the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) led by Minni Minawi, accused the RSF of committing “genocide” in Broush village, alleging that more than 100 unarmed civilians, including women, children, and the elderly, were killed. The RSF’s actions led to a mass displacement of the village’s residents, he said in a statement.

Videos circulated on social media platforms, which Sudan Tribune could not independently verify, appeared to show the aftermath of the attack in Broush, including what appeared to be dead bodies.

In Um Keddada, a local militia affiliated with the Berti ethnic group, known as “Al-Shawqara,” has been resisting RSF attempts to take control of the area, located east of El Fasher, residents said.

In rural areas west of El Fasher, residents told Sudan Tribune that RSF forces carried out attacks in Abu Jarbon, Golo, and Shaqra on January 25 and 26, involving killings, looting, and the detention of dozens of young people.

Eyewitnesses reported that the RSF was amassing thousands of fighters equipped with heavy weaponry in areas west of El Fasher, suggesting preparations for a renewed assault on the North Darfur capital.