Paramilitary Shelling Kills 24 in Sudan’s El-Fasher

Cairo, Aug 28 (AP) – A paramilitary group clashing with Sudan's military has launched a deadly shelling on a city under siege in Darfur, western Sudan, resulting in the deaths of at least 24 people, according to a medical organization reporting on Thursday. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) targeted heavily populated areas, including the central market and Awlad al-Reef neighborhood in el-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur province, stated the Sudan Doctors Network, which monitors the nation's ongoing civil war. The attack left 55 individuals wounded, including five women, the group detailed.

The city, a focal point of intense combat for more than a year, has been under continuous attack involving the Sudanese military and the RSF. El-Fasher remains the military's last defense hub in the Darfur region. The RSF did not provide any comment upon request.

Sudan descended into civil conflict in April 2023, when long-standing tensions between the military and the RSF erupted, sparking widespread fighting in the capital, Khartoum, and various locations across the country in northeast Africa.

The shelling on Wednesday marked the latest in a string of assaults on el-Fasher and surrounding areas, including incidents targeting two camps for displaced individuals struggling with famine. RSF forces conducted a significant offensive in April, resulting in hundreds of fatalities.

In August, a report from the UN high commissioner for human rights disclosed that at least 89 civilians were lost to RSF actions around the city over just ten days, with accounts of 16 civilians being executed unlawfully. The RSF has imposed a relentless blockade, transforming el-Fasher into "an epicenter of child suffering," afflicted by malnutrition, disease, and daily violence, explained the United Nations children's agency.

The blockade has left 260,000 civilians, including 130,000 children, stranded in dire circumstances for over 16 months, with essential aid cut off, stated UNICEF in a Wednesday report. An estimated 6,000 children are experiencing severe acute malnutrition, putting them at grave risk of death.

The ongoing conflict has claimed over 40,000 lives, compelling more than 14 million people to abandon their homes, with some families reportedly resorting to consuming grass for sustenance amid the famine affecting sections of the nation. The violence has been marred by egregious offenses, including ethnically motivated killings and rapes, stated the United Nations along with other rights organizations.

The International Criminal Court has announced investigations into allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity within this context. (AP)

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