RSF shelling kills 9 in Zamzam camp; fighting engulfs El Fasher
December 10, 2024 (EL FASHER) — Rapid Support Forces (RSF) artillery fire pounded a displacement camp in North Darfur on Tuesday, killing at least nine people, including women and children, and wounding others, according to camp officials. This attack marks an escalation in the conflict that has raged in Sudan since April.
The Zamzam camp, sheltering an estimated 2 million people displaced by previous rounds of fighting, has been under intermittent bombardment by the RSF since December 1. Thousands have been forced to flee their makeshift homes yet again, seeking safety from the relentless shelling.
“At least nine people were killed … in the renewed artillery shelling of Zamzam camp by the RSF,” camp spokesperson Mohamed Khamis Doda told Sudan Tribune. He condemned the attacks on civilians and called for international intervention to halt the violence.
Eyewitnesses reported that the RSF used long-range missiles, with at least seven shells striking the densely populated camp and destroying numerous shelters.
The camp, located 12 kilometres (7 miles) south of El Fasher, faces a dire humanitarian crisis. A siege imposed by the RSF on El Fasher has cut off vital aid supplies, and international organizations warned in September of a looming famine threatening the lives of roughly 500,000 people in Zamzam.
The RSF claims that armed groups allied with the Sudanese military are operating within the camp, using civilians as human shields.
Meanwhile, fierce fighting continues to grip El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur. Clashes between the army and its allied militias against the RSF erupted early Tuesday, with heavy weapons fire reported in the eastern and southeastern parts of the city.
The RSF used heavy artillery and drones to bombard the headquarters of the 6th Infantry Division and surrounding areas, as well as residential neighbourhoods. Seven civilians from a single family were killed in the shelling of the Al-Jil neighbourhood.
The Sudanese air force carried out airstrikes targeting RSF positions in eastern El Fasher. However, the strikes also resulted in civilian casualties in the Al-Tijaniyah neighbourhood.
El Fasher has been a battleground since May as the RSF attempts to seize control of the remaining government strongholds in the Darfur region.