4 killed in artillery strike on refugee camp in Sudan

SUDAN

At least four people were killed and 12 injured on Thursday in an artillery bombardment on the Abu Shouk displaced persons camp in North Darfur, Sudan, activists reported.

A statement by the Abu Shouk Camp Emergency Committee, made up of several activists, said the refugee camp in El Fasher faced heavy artillery shelling on Thursday morning, destroying over three rooms in the camp’s sole therapeutic nutrition center.

The attack, which involved more than 20 shells, claimed the lives of four individuals and injured 12 others, the statement added.

The toll may rise in the coming hours.

Mini Minawi, the governor of North Darfur, accused Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitaries of being responsible for the artillery strike.

As of yet, there has been no official response from the RSF.

Manawi, speaking on X, said the attack was part of a series of RSF actions related to war crimes targeting the camp’s vital therapeutic nutrition center, which falls under the UN World Food Program.

The Abu Shouk Emergency Committee previously accused the RSF of shelling the camp on Tuesday, resulting in 12 fatalities and 35 injuries. The RSF did not respond to the allegations.

The conflict in Sudan broke out in April 2023 between army Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo over disagreements about integrating the RSF into the regular military.

The conflict has killed nearly 16,000 people, displaced millions, and caused a devastating humanitarian crisis in Sudan, according to UN figures.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio