El-fasher: More than 70 people have been killed following a drone strike on a mosque in Sudan’s Darfur region. Friday’s attack in the city of el-Fasher has been blamed on the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), but the group has not taken responsibility. The RSF and the army have been engaged in a civil war for more than two years.
According to Voice of Nigeria, the paramilitaries are fighting to seize complete control of el-Fasher, the last army stronghold in Darfur, which is home to more than 300,000 civilians who have been trapped by the fighting. A resident reported that the drone struck during morning prayers, killing dozens instantly. Medics under siege mentioned, ‘We took this photo, fearing it would be our last.’
The medical source further indicated that 78 people died and about 20 were injured, though the process of extracting bodies from the rubble is ongoing. This week, the RSF launched a renewed offensive on El Fasher, which it has besieged for more than a year. Reports indicate that this included fierce attacks on Abu Shouk, a camp for displaced people near the city.
A complete RSF capture of the city would cement the group’s control of the western part of the country and reinforce a de facto split, with the army controlling the north and east. Sudan analysts and activists express concerns that the paramilitary group will target civilians still in the city, most of whom belong to ethnic groups they view as enemies.
On Friday, a United Nations report warned of the ‘increasing ethnicisation of the conflict,’ noting that both sides were retaliating against individuals accused of collaborating with opposing parties. The UN and other international organizations have documented a systematic RSF policy of ethnic cleansing against non-Arab communities in the territory they conquer.