Sudan's El-Fasher Sees Deadly Clashes Between Military and Paramilitary Forces

EL-FASHER, Sudan — More than two weeks of intense fighting between Sudan's military and the notorious paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have claimed at least 123 lives in the major city of el-Fasher, located in the western Darfur region, an international aid group reported on Sunday.

Doctors Without Borders stated that the clashes in el-Fasher, the provincial capital of North Darfur province, also resulted in over 930 injuries during this period. "This is a sign of the violent intensity of the fighting," the group noted, urging the warring factions to better protect civilians.

The violence between the military and the RSF escalated earlier this month, forcing thousands to flee their homes, according to the United Nations. El-Fasher has emerged as the epicenter of the conflict, with the RSF, supported by Arab militias known as Janjaweed, targeting the city—the last military stronghold in Darfur.

Sudan's conflict erupted in April last year due to rising tensions between the military and RSF leaders, leading to widespread violence in the capital, Khartoum, and other parts of the country. The ongoing conflict has resulted in over 14,000 deaths and numerous injuries, with reports of sexual violence and other atrocities amounting to war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The violence has also brought Sudan to the brink of famine. Earlier this month, the U.N. food agency warned of the severe risk of widespread starvation and death in Darfur and other regions if humanitarian aid is not allowed.

In recent months, the RSF has intensified its efforts to seize control of el-Fasher, besieging the city and launching major attacks on its southern and eastern areas. Clashes reignited Thursday in the Abu Shouk camp for displaced people in the Salam neighborhood, as well as in the city's southern western parts, according to the U.N.’s International Organization for Migration.

On Saturday, a shell hit the house of a Doctors Without Borders aid worker near the city's main market, resulting in the worker's death, the charity reported. The U.N. Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, Clementine Nkweta-Salami, condemned the "tragic" killing and urged the warring parties to cease fighting in the city where "hundreds of thousands of women, men, and children in North Darfur are once again caught in the crossfire of war."

"A human tragedy of epic proportions is on the horizon, but it can, and must, be prevented," Nkweta-Salami emphasized, calling for immediate action to protect civilians and allow humanitarian aid to reach those in need.