Militia Violations: Over 100 Villages in North Darfur Attacked by Rapid Support Forces
Sudan Events – Agencies
The Humanitarian Research Lab at Yale University has accused the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of launching attacks on 105 communities in North Darfur, 70 of which are within a 70-kilometer radius of El Fasher, over a period of ten months.
Intensified Attacks
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported 95 incidents in North Darfur between April 1, 2024, and January 31, 2025, leading to the sudden displacement of 605,000 people.
According to the lab’s report, “Between March 31, 2024, and February 4, 2025, 105 communities in El Fasher, Dar Al-Salam, Tawila, and Kutum in North Darfur have been subjected to RSF attacks.”
It noted that 70 of these villages are located within 70 kilometers of El Fasher.
The RSF has been besieging El Fasher since last April before launching direct attacks on the city starting in the following month, with an increasing intensity in recent weeks.
Instability
The report highlighted that the burning of villages results in civilian casualties, displacement, destruction of livelihoods, and forces vulnerable communities to rebuild, contributing to long-term instability.
It emphasized that villages in Tawila and south of Zamzam camp have played a critical role in sheltering and facilitating the safe passage of those fleeing El Fasher. This, in turn, further isolates the populations in El Fasher and Zamzam and worsens the humanitarian needs of the communities hosting survivors.
New Attacks
The lab reported that satellite imagery revealed thermal scars consistent with deliberate fires in 23 local communities in El Fasher, Dar Al-Salam, and Tawila between December 11, 2024, and February 4, 2025.
It added that six communities in the Khazan Qulo area and two local communities south of Zamzam camp were attacked by the RSF, while the remaining attacks targeted villages in Abu Zreiga, part of Dar Al-Salam locality.
In recent days, the RSF took control of Khazan Qulo, which supplies drinking water to El Fasher, after previously withdrawing from the site in late May 2024.
There are fears that the RSF might carry out retaliatory attacks on more villages in North Darfur, especially after sending reinforcements to the region, as the Sudanese army, joint forces, and local mobilized fighters fiercely defend El Fasher.
