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Rapid Support Forces' Shelling Kills 47 Civilians in Attack on El Fasher, Western Sudan
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The intense artillery bombardment on El Fasher reveals the continued targeting of civilians as leverage in the armed conflict, underscoring the urgent need for international intervention to protect lo
The Sudanese Army announced on Tuesday that 47 civilians were killed and dozens wounded in an artillery attack by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur State in western Sudan. This bloody escalation is part of a series of ongoing attacks targeting civilian areas in the city, which serves as a vital hub for humanitarian operations in the Darfur region.
In a statement, the Sudanese Army’s 6th Infantry Division in El Fasher reported that the RSF "continues to systematically target civilians, firing approximately 250 artillery shells during Monday’s bombardment of El Fasher’s neighborhoods," according to the Sudan News Agency.
Field reports indicate that the indiscriminate intensity of the shelling reflects the RSF’s attempt to demoralize civilians and inflict maximum damage on the city’s infrastructure.
The statement added: "This intense artillery bombardment resulted in the deaths of 47 civilians, including 10 women, with dozens more wounded and transferred to hospitals and medical centers." Medical facilities in the city are under immense pressure due to the rising number of casualties and severe shortages of supplies amid the ongoing siege.
The army also noted that it had destroyed an RSF artillery platform north of El Fasher, marking an attempt to neutralize the RSF’s offensive capabilities around the city and protect civilians.
For days, the RSF has continued its artillery attacks on El Fasher, killing and wounding dozens, according to Sudanese authorities. These repeated assaults have raised alarm among humanitarian organizations about an imminent catastrophe in a region already suffering from acute shortages of basic services.
Days earlier, the RSF attacked and seized control of the Zamzam camp for displaced persons in North Darfur after clashes with the army and allied forces, leaving 400 dead and displacing tens of thousands, per UN reports.
These attacks constitute a blatant violation of international humanitarian law, which prohibits targeting civilians, civilian infrastructure, and displacement camps. Since May 10, 2024, El Fasher has witnessed clashes between the army and RSF, despite international warnings against fighting in the city, which serves as the humanitarian operations center for Darfur’s five states.
International calls are growing to demilitarize El Fasher and establish safe corridors for humanitarian aid, given its strategic role in distributing assistance across Darfur.
Since April 2023, the army and RSF have been locked in a war that has killed over 20,000 people and displaced nearly 15 million, according to the UN and local authorities. However, research by American universities estimates the death toll at around 130,000. These conflicting figures highlight the difficulty of accurately assessing casualties amid the ongoing conflict, its expanding geographic scope, and limited access to affected areas.
Recently, the RSF has been losing control over Sudanese states to the army, which has made rapid advances in Khartoum State, including capturing the presidential palace and other government facilities. These developments suggest a strategic shift in the conflict after over a year of brutal fighting that has devastated much of the country’s infrastructure.
In Sudan’s 17 other states, the RSF now controls only parts of North Kordofan and West Kordofan, along with pockets in South Kordofan and Blue Nile, in addition to four of Darfur’s five states (excluding El Fasher).
This new control map raises questions about the future of Sudan’s conflict and the RSF’s ability to withstand mounting pressure from the Sudanese Army and its allied forces.
