Twenty-three people were killed in the city of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, western Sudan, as a result of artillery shelling carried out by the Rapid Support Forces, according to local committees. The El Fasher Resistance Committees stated in a brief post on Facebook that the number of civilian fatalities due to the "deliberate" shelling by the Rapid Support Forces reached 23. They also reported that 60 people were injured as a result of the shelling.
El Fasher is the only capital of the five Darfur states that has not been taken over by the Rapid Support Forces and has remained relatively safe from fighting for a long time. The city, which hosts many refugees, has been a humanitarian center for the vast region threatened by famine. However, violent fighting erupted on May 10, raising fears of a new "worrisome" shift in the conflict, according to the United Nations. In June, the UN Security Council called for an end to the "siege" of El Fasher by the Rapid Support Forces.
The city has faced shelling for several days. The El Fasher Resistance Committees reported last Monday that 65 people were killed between July 27 and July 29 due to artillery fire from the Rapid Support Forces.
Fighting in Sudan erupted in April 2023 between the army, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces, led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. The war has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths. While the actual toll of the conflict remains unclear, estimates suggest it could reach "150,000," according to U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan Tom Perriello. More than ten million people have been displaced within Sudan or have sought refuge in neighboring countries since the fighting broke out, according to UN statistics. The fighting has caused widespread destruction to the country's infrastructure, with over three-quarters of health facilities out of service. Both parties to the conflict face allegations of committing war crimes for deliberately targeting civilians and obstructing the delivery and distribution of humanitarian aid.
