Over 50,000 displaced in North Darfur following militia attacks

April 18, 2024 (AL-FASHER) – Attacks by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied Arab militias have displaced over 50,000 people from 30 villages west of El Fasher, North Darfur’s capital.

The attacks, targeting villages inhabited by the Zaghawa ethnic group, began on April 6th and lasted three days. They resulted in deaths, burning of villages, looting, and mass displacement. The displaced have fled to Tawila and El Fasher, as well as the town of Shakra, 10 10km west of the state capital.

Abdel Hafiz al-Ghali, head of the Initiative to Support the Displaced Persons of West El Fasher Villages, told Sudan Tribune: “The recent attacks displaced over 50,000 people from 31 villages.”

Al-Ghali e added that these newly displaced people are facing harsh conditions in Shakra, lacking shelter, food, medicine, and even clean drinking water.

Local volunteers have begun providing some assistance, but the scale of the crisis necessitates international intervention. Al-Ghali issued a “distress call” for international organizations to step up and deliver essential supplies to the displaced population.

The incident raises concerns about escalating ethnic violence between the Zaghawa and Arab communities in North Darfur. This tension is fuelled by the growing polarization between the RSF and armed movements supported by the Sudanese military, both of which have a strong presence in the region.