Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces claim control of displaced camp in Darfur

KHARTOUM, Sudan

Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) announced Sunday that they had taken control of the Zamzam camp for internally displaced persons near North Darfur's capital of El Fasher.

The announcement followed three days of sustained attacks on El Fasher, including strikes on the Zamzam and Abu Shouk camps which left many people dead or wounded.

The violence triggered a mass displacement into the city and drew regional and international condemnation.

The RSF said in a statement that its troops deployed units to “secure civilians and humanitarian medical workers” after it had “fully liberated the Zamzam camp.”

The group accused the army and allied Darfuri armed movements—signatories to the 2020 Juba Peace Agreement—of using the camp as a military base and civilians as human shields.

The Sudanese military has not commented on the RSF’s statement.

The RSF said it remains “fully committed to international humanitarian law” and pledged to protect civilians and avoid damage to civilian infrastructure.

Earlier Sunday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres along with Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar condemned the attacks on the Zamzam and Abu Shouk camps.

The El Fasher Resistance Coordination, a grassroots group, said in a statement that RSF attacks on El Fasher—including strikes on both camps—had killed or wounded more than 320 people.

The UN said the last remaining medical team in the Zamzam camp was killed during the assault.

The RSF denied targeting the camp, calling video footage circulating online “an attempt to smear its image,” according to a statement posted on Telegram.

The RSF began its latest offensive on El Fasher on May 10, despite international warnings over renewed violence in the city, which serves as a vital humanitarian hub for all five states in Darfur.

Since April 15, 2023, the RSF has been battling the Sudanese army for control of the country, resulting in thousands of deaths and one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

More than 20,000 people have been killed and 15 million displaced, according to the UN and local authorities. Research from US scholars, however, estimates the death toll at around 130,000.

In recent weeks, the RSF has lost significant territory across Sudan to government forces.