Army attack in Darfur results in at least 12 fatalities, according to observers

In the troubled region of Darfur, the Paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been escalating their siege of El-Fasher, the capital city, in recent weeks. On Saturday, the RSF shelled the city, causing at least seven deaths and 71 injuries, according to reports.

The RSF, which evolved from the Janjaweed Arab militias accused of genocide in Darfur in the early 2000s, have constructed more than 31 kilometres of berms in El-Fasher, creating a literal kill box, according to satellite imagery from Yale University's Humanitarian Research Lab. This has confined the Sudanese army and its allied militias to less than 12.9 square kilometres in the city.

The UN estimates that the besieged population in El-Fasher is approximately 300,000 people. For over a year, they have endured severe shortages of water and food, according to humanitarian workers. The water authority in El-Fasher, which supplies the city with fresh drinking water, has sustained munitions impact damage.

The Yashfeen clinic in Nyala was also struck during the attack. Of those wounded, 22 are reported to be in a critical condition. The true toll from Saturday's attack may be higher due to the intensity of the bombardment preventing many wounded from reaching the hospital.

Nathaniel Raymond, the executive director of Yale University's Humanitarian Research Lab, stated that the RSF has been escalating its siege of El-Fasher, launching artillery barrages and ground incursions. He warned that the non-Arab Zaghawa tribe in El-Fasher may face a similar fate to the non-Arab Massalit tribe in West Darfur's state capital of El-Geneina, where up to 15,000 people, mostly from the tribe, were killed in 2023 massacres blamed on RSF forces.

Experts have expressed concern that if successful in capturing El-Fasher, the RSF would control all five Darfur state capitals. Raymond stated that the RSF, if successful, could win the entire genocide that began in the early 21st century in Darfur.

The UN estimates that nearly 40 percent of children under five in El-Fasher are acutely malnourished, with 11 percent severely so. Many children in El-Fasher have resorted to eating animal fodder, and desperate attempts to escape into the desert often end in death from exposure, starvation, or violence.

A source from the Emergency Lawyers group reported the attack to AFP. The source expects the death toll to rise, as preliminary reports suggest dozens of civilians and medical staff may have been killed.

The RSF wants to wrest full control of the Darfur region from the Sudanese army. The UN and international community are urging both parties to cease hostilities and engage in peaceful dialogue to resolve the crisis.