Amnesty International denounced on Wednesday what it described as “war crimes” committed by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan during their raid on the Zamzam displacement camp on the outskirts of El Fasher earlier this year, based on recent testimonies from survivors.
The camp had hosted nearly one million people before it was attacked by the RSF last spring, in the context of the ongoing two-year war between the RSF and the Sudanese army.
According to the organization’s report, “RSF forces deliberately killed civilians, took them hostage, and looted and destroyed mosques, schools, and medical clinics,” based on testimonies from 29 individuals including eyewitnesses, relatives of victims, and journalists.
The attack, according to the organization’s data—which aligns with United Nations reports—led to the displacement of more than 400,000 civilians from the camp. The organization called for “an investigation into these violations as war crimes under international law.”
Amnesty International’s report states that between April 11 and 13, “RSF forces attacked the camp using explosives and opened fire indiscriminately in densely populated areas.”
Agnes Callamard, the organization’s Secretary General, said: “The horrific and deliberate attack by RSF forces on desperate and starving civilians in Zamzam camp once again leaves no doubt about their disregard for the right to life.”
Use of Explosive Weapons
Satellite imagery taken on April 16 and analyzed by Amnesty International showed previously unseen craters, indicating the “widespread use of explosive weapons.” The report included testimonies from survivors of the attack, which resulted in hundreds of deaths.
Younis, a pseudonym for a volunteer in the Zamzam Emergency Room, a group coordinating relief efforts, said: “The situation was extremely bad. We couldn’t determine the source of the shelling. It was everywhere.”
Saadia recounted that RSF fighters were driving through the neighborhood where she lived, not far from the main market in Zamzam, then “one of the RSF fighters would pop out of a small roof hatch and shoot at anyone in the street.”
Zamzam camp lies on the outskirts of El Fasher, which fell into RSF control last October, causing at least 100,000 people to flee, according to the United Nations, most of whom are now sheltering without proper housing in the town of Tawila, 70 kilometers west of El Fasher.
