At least 123 people have died in Sudan’s Dafur region after more than two weeks of fierce fighting between Sudan’s military and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), an international aid group reported on Sunday. The conflict in el-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur province, has also resulted in over 930 injuries, according to Doctors Without Borders.
“This is a sign of the violent intensity of the fighting,” the group stated, urging the combatants to prioritise civilian protection.
Clashes between the military and the RSF, which is supported by Arab militias known as janjaweed, escalated earlier this month, forcing thousands to flee their homes. El-Fasher has become a focal point in the ongoing conflict, serving as the last military stronghold in Darfur.
Sudan’s conflict erupted in April last year due to mounting tensions between military leaders and the RSF, leading to widespread violence in Khartoum and other regions. Since then, the conflict has claimed more than 14,000 lives and resulted in numerous injuries, with reports of sexual violence and other atrocities being labeled as war crimes and crimes against humanity by rights groups.
The violence has also exacerbated the humanitarian crisis in Sudan, pushing the population towards famine. The U.N. food agency recently warned of a serious risk of starvation and death in Darfur and other areas if humanitarian aid is not allowed into the region.
In recent months, the RSF has intensified efforts to seize control of el-Fasher, besieging the city and launching major attacks on its southern and eastern areas. Renewed clashes were reported on Thursday in the Abu Shouk camp for displaced people and other parts of the city.
The conflict claimed the life of a Doctors Without Borders aid worker on Saturday when a shell hit their house near the main market. U.N. Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, Clementine Nkweta-Salami, condemned the killing and called for an end to the fighting in North Darfur where hundreds of thousands of civilians “are 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 warned.
Melissa Enoch
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