Violence erupts in El Fasher as mosque is targeted, leaving numerous fatalities reported
In the first half of 2023, Sudan has been gripped by a humanitarian crisis of unprecedented proportions. According to the United Nations Human Rights Office (OHCHR), a staggering 3,384 civilians have lost their lives, with the majority of deaths occurring in Darfur.
The conflict between the Sudanese Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the army, which erupted in April, has resulted in a devastating toll. Tens of thousands of lives have been claimed, more than 13 million people have been displaced, and about 25 million are facing acute hunger.
The offensive launched by the RSF in El Fasher, as well as nearby Zamzam and Abu Shouk camps for displaced people, has been particularly brutal. Many deaths were reported during these operations in April. The fall of El Fasher to the RSF would give them full territorial dominance over the western Darfur region.
The majority of killings have resulted from artillery shelling, air and drone strikes in densely populated areas. One witness reported observing children as young as 14 or 15 being summarily killed during Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) search operations in civilian neighborhoods in East Nile, Khartoum between March and April.
The surge in summary executions in Khartoum was reported to have occurred mainly between February and April. At least 990 civilians were killed in these executions, according to OHCHR.
The RSF, led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, have established a new parallel administration in Nyala, Darfur, opposing the army-backed government in Port Sudan. Dagalo was sworn in as head of this parallel government on August 31 in Nyala.
The UN envoy to Sudan warned earlier this year of a growing 'ethnicisation' of the conflict. The RSF's actions in El Fasher, including a drone strike on a mosque that resulted in the death of 43 people according to the Sudan Doctors Network, and about 70 people according to the Darfur Victims Support Organisation, have raised concerns about the potential division of Sudan.
Residents have reported intense fighting and loud explosions in the western and southern parts of El Fasher, with drones being used. The Resistance Committees in El Fasher posted a video showing parts of the mosque reduced to rubble and several bodies, although the footage could not be independently verified.
The OHCHR Sudan representative Li Fung stated that every day they are receiving more reports of horrors on the ground. The conflict in Sudan continues to take a heavy toll on civilians, with no end in sight. The international community must urgently address this crisis to prevent further loss of life and suffering.
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