Two years into a brutal conflict between Sudan’s military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the country now faces what the United Nations calls the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with famine spreading and ethnic violence reaching new extremes.
In a devastating escalation, RSF forces in April captured Zamzam displacement camp—one of the largest in western Darfur, sheltering nearly half a million people displaced by years of conflict. Witnesses reported that RSF fighters stormed the camp on April 11, setting homes ablaze, looting property, and unleashing shellfire while drones circled overhead.
The UN estimates at least 300 people were killed in the attack, with another 400,000 forced to flee—marking one of the deadliest assaults since the civil war began in April 2023. Humanitarian groups have condemned the raid as a direct assault on civilians already grappling with starvation and displacement.
The RSF, which did not respond to media requests for comment, has denied targeting civilians and claimed that Zamzam was being used as a military base by pro-army forces. However, aid agencies have refuted this, calling the attack a clear violation of international humanitarian law.
The takeover of Zamzam signals the RSF’s intent to consolidate control over Darfur. The camp lies near al-Fashir, the capital of North Darfur and the last major city in the region not under RSF control. With a population of 1.8 million, al-Fashir is now at risk of becoming the next flashpoint in the conflict.
Sudan’s descent into chaos followed the breakdown of a fragile alliance between the military and RSF, formed after their joint coup in October 2021, which derailed the country’s democratic transition post-Omar al-Bashir. The power-sharing arrangement fractured over disputes regarding civilian oversight, military chain of command, and the integration of the RSF into Sudan’s regular armed forces.
Compounding tensions were rivalries over lucrative economic networks and resources, as both factions sought to preserve their influence.
As the fighting grinds on, millions remain trapped in the crossfire—caught between armed groups and a collapsing state—while aid agencies warn of a looming famine and a refugee crisis that could ripple across the region.