RSF tightens siege on Darfur camp, deepening humanitarian crisis

September 11, 2024 (EL FASHER) – Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have intensified their blockade of the Zamzam camp in southern El Fasher, North Darfur, further imperilling the lives of hundreds of thousands of people displaced by conflict.

The paramilitary group has stationed troops at a key supply route traders use to bring essential food, medicine, and fuel into the camp.

The RSF has released videos showing the arrest of individuals attempting to smuggle fuel into the camp, claiming to have confiscated over 60 barrels of gasoline and diesel. Colonel Jado Ali Misbel, an RSF spokesperson, said no goods would be allowed to pass into the camp or El Fasher, the historic capital of Darfur.

Mohamed Khamis Doda, a representative for the displaced people in Zamzam, said the RSF arrested dozens of traders on Tuesday and confiscated their goods. The traders reportedly attempted to bring supplies into the camp to alleviate the dire humanitarian situation.

The RSF’s actions have sparked accusations of looting, harassment, and the confiscation of vital communication equipment. Doda warned that the blockade threatens to cut off the camp’s remaining supply lines, potentially leading to a catastrophic shutdown of water sources and essential services. He urged international intervention to avert a humanitarian disaster.

The RSF’s siege tactics are seen as part of a broader strategy to exert control over El Fasher and weaken the Sudanese Armed Forces. The ongoing conflict has forced many residents of El Fasher to flee to the already overcrowded Zamzam camp, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis.

The United Nations Development Programme declared a famine in Zamzam in August, a claim denied by Sudanese authorities. The camp, home to an estimated half a million displaced people, has been facing severe food shortages due to the RSF’s blockade.