Paramilitary troops attack the largest refugee camp in Sudan

Paramilitary troops attack the largest refugee camp in Sudan

Fighters from Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) set fire to large parts of the country's largest refugee camp and targeted civilians, according to open data and an eyewitness report.

Devastating attacks in the refugee camp

At least seven people were killed and 40 injured in the attacks that began on Tuesday, according to Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), which runs one of the last remaining health facilities in the Zamzam camp. This place is home to nearly half a million displaced people suffering from hunger. According to a recent report by the Yale HRL About 50% of Zamzam central market was burned during the attacks.

An increase in violence as the conflict progresses

Zamzam, once a refuge for civilians fleeing violence in the North Darfur capital, al-Fasher, and surrounding towns, has been under attack since December 1, according to Yale's Humanitarian Research Lab (HRL) and MSF. Since then, untargeted artillery fire has killed and injured numerous residents. The RSF and its rivals, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), have been embroiled in a brutal civil war since April 2023. The RSF has since tried to capture al-Fasher — the SAF's last stronghold in the region — 15 km north of Zamzam. However, this is the first time that RSF fighters have apparently entered the camp.

Reports from eyewitnesses and the reality on site

According to an eyewitness account obtained by CNN, the RSF fighters approached from the east on Tuesday and entered the camp's central market. Confirmed social media footage shows RSF fighters' progress; Videos show armed men wearing the distinctive sand-colored camouflage and RSF insignia taking up a militia post on the edge of the camp.

"I saw people fleeing and was among them - some in their private vehicles and others on foot for hundreds of meters. Several cluster munitions flew over our heads and one victim fell right in front of me," the eyewitness reported. Dozens of children, women and elderly people were killed or injured in the attacks, a statement from camp administrators announced on Thursday. This is addressed to the United Nations and calls for the deployment of an international protection mission in view of the brutal attacks on Zamzam.

The devastating consequences of the attacks

Satellite images provided by Maxar Technologies show the aftermath of widespread arson in the central market of Zamzam. Remains of stalls, chairs and tables with charred vegetables can be seen beneath the ashes. Thermal images recorded by NASA's Fire Information for Resource Management System show the fire was ignited on Tuesday, according to HRL indicates that it was intentionally burned down.

The RSF has not responded to repeated requests from CNN, but described the camp as a "military garrison" in a statement on Telegram. "We categorically assert that no violations occurred and our forces never targeted civilians. Rather, our forces acted in a professional military manner, quickly defeating the armed elements and thwarting their plans to use civilians as human shields." According to a report by Yale HRL The attacks were launched weeks after the first artillery attacks on the camp by the RSF.

The malnutritional crisis in Zamzam

Zamzam has long been at the center of Sudan's malnutrition crisis. The World Food Program explained last August that the camp was being pushed into famine. In the weeks leading up to the RSF's entry into the camp, CNN gathered reports from residents and health care providers that paint a grim picture: parents starving to feed their children and entire families rationing small packages of Plumpy'Nut, a thick peanut cream used to treat malnourished children.

"If we need water, we have to pay. And we have no money, so we ask Allah to help us," said a mother holding her crying two-year-old child. About 34% of children living in Zamzam suffer from acute malnutrition — more than double the emergency limit — according to one MSF survey from autumn. The healthcare situation was described as “extremely precarious” by the RSF in the days before the attacks.

Since the famine declaration, malnutrition has increased and is currently affecting two additional camps in North Darfur and the western Nuba Mountains and is expected to reach five additional locations by May. The RSF's attacks on Zamzam have deepened the crisis by forcing humanitarian groups such as MSF to suspend certain activities, MSF Secretary General Chris Lockyear confirmed after a visit to the Darfur region in December. “It is simply too dangerous to work in certain areas of North Darfur,” Lockyear said. “It is unclear how this new wave of violence will impact malnutrition in Zamzam.”

“With the camp surrounded by RSF fighters, there is no way for the population to escape or receive humanitarian assistance,” predicts MSF project coordinator in North Darfur, Marion Ramstein. “People are completely on their own.”

Mounira Elsamra, Eyad Kourdi and Thomas Bordeaux contributed to this report.