5 killed in paramilitary RSF shelling on displacement camp in Sudan’s Darfur

By Adel Abdelrheem and Mohammad Sio

KHARTOUM, Sudan / ISTANBUL (AA) - Five people were killed and four others injured Thursday when the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) shelled Abu Shouk displacement camp in El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur in western Sudan, a local committee said.

The Abu Shouk Emergency Room said in a statement that RSF artillery fire struck parts of the camp, with a shell hitting a home.

It said continued shelling of civilian facilities, coupled with a suffocating siege, has worsened the suffering of displaced people in the area.

The statement noted a “sharp increase” in deaths among children and elderly people due to malnutrition, reporting an average of seven deaths weekly inside the camp due to hunger and disease.

There was no comment from the RSF.

On Saturday, the Sudan Doctors Network, an independent medical group, said 31 people, including seven children and a pregnant woman, were killed and 13 others wounded by RSF artillery in the same camp.

Local committees and authorities in El-Fasher, a hub for humanitarian operations across Darfur’s five states, have consistently accused the RSF of repeated shelling and attacks on the city, which has been under siege since May 10, 2024.

On Tuesday, the UN said it was shocked by reports of a large-scale attack on El-Fasher, including the Abu Shouk camp.

The same day, the International Organization for Migration reported that 500 people fled the camp to other parts of the city amid escalating insecurity.

The Sudanese army and RSF have been fighting a war since April 2023 that has killed thousands and displaced millions.