More than 1,000 civilians lost their lives when a Sudanese paramilitary faction seized control of a famine-stricken displacement camp in the Darfur region in April, with approximately a third of them being “summarily executed,” as per a UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) report released on Thursday. Leading up to the assault from April 11-13, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) had blocked the delivery of essential supplies to the Zamzam camp in Darfur, which accommodated almost half a million individuals displaced by the civil conflict, the UN report revealed.
During the takeover, the RSF orchestrated attacks targeting civilians, resulting in widespread atrocities including killings, rape, torture, and abductions, with at least 319 individuals being executed within the camp or while attempting to escape. “The intentional killing of civilians could potentially amount to the war crime of murder,” stated UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk in a commentary accompanying the 18-page report. The report’s conclusions were drawn from interviews conducted in July 2025 with 155 survivors and witnesses who sought refuge in Chad.
The Zamzam camp, situated around 15 kilometers south of al Fasher, initially served as a shelter for displaced persons in the aftermath of the 2003 Darfur conflict. Renewed violence in the region in 2023 prompted another influx of displaced individuals, primarily from African tribal backgrounds. Last year, the high commissioner had raised concerns about the dire conditions at the camp, where RSF patrols obstructed the entry of crucial provisions, leading to severe shortages by January.
One survivor recounted, “My family and I had to resort to eating peanut shells, like many other families in the camp, as essential food items had run out.” The assault on April 11 involved artillery bombardment, drone attacks, and a ground offensive featuring four-wheel drive vehicles, as per the report. An account detailed how eight individuals hiding in a room within the camp were gunned down by RSF fighters who fired through a window.
The violence exhibited clear ethnic motivations, and aside from the deaths, the OHCHR documented 66 incidents of conflict-related sexual violence affecting at least 104 victims, with the vast majority being females, including numerous minors. “I have no intention of returning to Zamzam, even if the conflict ceases. I feel safer here [in Chad],” expressed a 27-year-old woman who reported experiencing sexual violence.
The RSF did not provide an immediate response to requests for comments, having previously denied any harm to civilians and pledged accountability for any transgressions committed by its personnel. The April assault foreshadowed a subsequent attack on El Fasher to the north in late October, where the RSF stands accused of executing and abducting thousands of residents, with many individuals from the city still missing.
