Paramilitary troops attacked the largest refugee camp in Sudan

Paramilitary troops attacked the largest refugee camp in Sudan

Fighter of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan set fire to large parts of the country's largest refugee camp and specifically fired civilians, as can be seen from open data and an eyewitness report.

devastating attacks in the refugee camp

At least seven people were killed in the attacks that started on Tuesday and 40 injured, according to Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), which operates one of the last remaining health facilities in the Zamzam warehouse. This place houses almost half a million displaced people who suffer from hunger. According to a recent report of the yale hrl Zamzam burned during the attacks.

an increase in violence in the course of the conflict

Zamzam, once a refuge for civilians who fled to violence in the capital of Norddarfur, Al-Fasher, and the surrounding cities, has been under fire since December 1, as the Humanitrian Research Lab (HRL) from Yale and MSF report. Since then, many residents have killed and injured unscathed artillery shots. The RSF and its rivals, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), have been involved in a brutal civil war since April 2023. Since then, the RSF has been trying to conquer Al-Fasher-the last stronghold of the SAF in the region-15 km north of Zamzam. However, this is the first time that RSF fighters apparently entered the camp.

reports of eyewitnesses and the reality on site

According to an eyewitness report that CNN received, the RSF fighters approached from the east on Tuesday and entered the central market of the warehouse. Confirmed recordings from social media show the progress of the RSF fighters; Videos show armed men in the characteristic sand -colored camouflage and with insignia of the RSF that take a militia post on the edge of the warehouse.

"I saw people flee and was among them - some in their private vehicles and others on foot over hundreds of meters. Several scattering ammunition flew over our heads, and a victim fell right in front of me," reported the eyewitness. Dozens of children, women and the elderly were killed or injured in the attacks, as an explanation by the warehouse manager announced on Thursday. This is aimed at the United Nations and calls for the use of an international protective mission in view of the brutal attacks on Zamzam.

The devastating consequences of the attacks

Satellite images made available by Maxar Technologies show the consequences of the large arson in the Zamzam central market. Under the ash, the remains of stands, chairs and tables with charred vegetables can be seen. Heat images, recorded by NASAS Fire Information for Resource Management System, show that the fire was inflamed on Tuesday, which according to HRL indicates that this was deliberately burned down.

The RSF has not responded to repeated inquiries from CNN, but described the camp in a declaration on Telegram as the "military garrison". "We categorically claim that no violations have taken place and our forces have never targeted civilians. Rather, our forces acted militarily professionally, quickly defeated the armed elements and prevented their plans to use civilians as human protective shields." According to a report by Yale HRL Artillery attacks on the warehouse started by the RSF.

The malnutritional crisis in Zamzam

Zamzam has long been at the center of the Malnutrition crisis in Sudan. The world food program MSF-Umfish from autumn. The situation in the healthcare system was described as "extremely precarious" in the days before the attacks on the part of the RSF.

Since the famine declaration, the malnutrition has expanded and currently affects two additional camps in North Darfur and the western Nuba Mountains and is expected to reach five other locations by May. RSF's attacks on Zamzam tightened the crisis by forced humanitarian groups such as MSF to hire certain activities, confirms MSF General Secretary Chris Lockyear after visiting the Darfur region in December. "It is simply too dangerous to work in certain areas of Nord-Darfur," said Lockyear. "It is unclear how this new wave of violence will affect the malnutrition in Zamzam."

"Since the camp of RSF fighters is surrounded, there is no way to flee the population or to receive humanitarian aid," predicts MSF project coordinator in North Darfur, Marion Ramstein. "People are completely on their own."

To this report, Mounira Elsamra, Eyad Kourd and Thomas Bordeaux contributed.