In one of the deadliest episodes of Sudan&rsquo;s ongoing civil war, at least 144 people were killed&mdash;including nine humanitarian aid workers&mdash;when the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) launched a brutal ground offensive on the Zamzam camp for displaced people in North Darfur. The attack, which began early Friday, has been described by local officials and humanitarian organizations as a potential act of genocide.
Ibrahim Khater, North Darfur&rsquo;s acting health minister, confirmed the toll on Saturday, describing the situation as "complex and tragic." Speaking to&nbsp;Sudan Tribune, he reported that RSF fighters stormed the Zamzam camp, located just 12 kilometers southwest of El Fasher, the state capital, using an array of heavy weaponry. Video evidence shared by RSF-affiliated platforms showed horrifying scenes of field executions&mdash;including children and the elderly&mdash;and the torching of shelters within the camp.
Among the victims were nine staff members from&nbsp;Relief International, who were operating one of the camp&rsquo;s last functioning field hospitals. &ldquo;This is not just violence&mdash;it&rsquo;s systematic killing, genocide, humiliation,&rdquo; Khater said.
Initial figures from local resistance committees in El Fasher reported 57 deaths&mdash;32 in the city and 25 in Zamzam camp&mdash;but later updates from the Sudanese Army placed the toll in El Fasher alone at 74 civilians killed and 17 wounded.
Clementine Nkweta-Salami, the UN&rsquo;s Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, condemned the killings of the aid workers and civilians. &ldquo;This represents yet another deadly and unacceptable escalation in a series of brutal attacks on displaced people and aid workers in Sudan since the onset of this conflict nearly two years ago,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;I strongly urge those committing such acts to immediately desist.&rdquo;
Mohamed Faisal, a spokesperson for the Darfur Network for Human Rights, labeled the simultaneous shelling of El Fasher and the assault on Zamzam as a &ldquo;dangerous escalation,&rdquo; underscoring a pattern of RSF violence that has persisted for over a year. Reports of targeted attacks on non-Arab communities and the use of sexual violence have raised alarm among international observers about possible war crimes and ethnic cleansing.
As violence intensifies in Darfur, calls for international intervention are growing louder, amid fears that a full-scale genocide is unfolding in real-time.
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genocide in Sudan (representative images from social media)

Over 140 killed in RSF assault on Zamzam camp; UN, locals warn of genocide in Darfur

Massacre in Sudan's Darfur: RSF Slaughters 144 at Camp

Over 140 killed in RSF assault on Zamzam camp; UN, locals warn of genocide in Darfur

April 13, 2025 | 09:40 IST