At least six civilians have been killed and 24 injured in artillery shelling that targeted a displacement centre in Al Fasher in western Sudan, a Sudanese relief committee has said, accusing the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of carrying out the attack.
“Today, the RSF shelled food kitchens in Al Fasher, killing six civilians and injuring more than 24 others,” said the Al Fasher Resistance Coordination, a grassroots committee, in a statement on Tuesday.
“Even the kitchens that served as a refuge for the poor and the hungry did not escape RSF shelling. Pots were left shattered and food scattered on the ground, as if war has been declared on the weak and hungry,” the statement added.
The kitchens -- locally known as Takaya -- are communal facilities that provide meals to residents and displaced people in Al Fasher and other conflict areas run by volunteers and supported by philanthropists and humanitarian organisations.
Darfur regional governor Minni Arko Minnawi said the targeting of one of the displacement and shelter centres in Al Fasher by the RSF militia represents “a new crime added to its bloody record against unarmed civilians.”
“This treacherous attack targeting displaced women, children, and the elderly clearly shows that this militia does not distinguish between a fighter and a civilian,” he added on Facebook.
Minnawi condemned “this criminal act, which constitutes a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law,” calling on human rights organisations to urgently intervene to save the people of Al Fasher.
Al Fasher has witnessed intense fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF since May 2024, despite international warnings about the risks of violence in a city that serves as a key humanitarian hub for the five Darfur states.
Since April 2023, clashes between the Sudanese army and the RSF have resulted in the deaths of more than 20,000 people and displaced 15 million, according to the UN and authorities, while a study by American universities estimates the death toll at approximately 130,000.
