Survivors recount horror as executions and Arson ravage Sudan’s Zamzam displacement camp

Survivors of a brutal attack on the Zamzam camp for internally displaced people in North Darfur, Sudan, have described scenes of mass executions and widespread arson that have left the humanitarian community reeling. The incident, which unfolded earlier this week, has been attributed to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), although the group has denied involvement.

Witness accounts gathered by Reuters reveal that armed men stormed the camp and began executing people at point-blank range, setting fire to shelters and humanitarian facilities. At least 12 civilians were reportedly killed, though rights groups fear the number could be higher as access to the area remains limited.

“They told us to run. Those who didn’t, they shot. Then they burned everything,” said one survivor, who fled with her children and watched the camp go up in flames.

The attack comes amid an increasingly chaotic civil conflict in Sudan, where the RSF and Sudanese army have been battling for control since April 2023. Humanitarian agencies and rights advocates have raised concerns that civilians are being deliberately targeted, especially in historically marginalized regions like Darfur.

Satellite images and photographs obtained by aid groups confirm the destruction of key areas of the Zamzam camp, home to tens of thousands of displaced individuals. Several makeshift homes, food distribution points, and medical tents were destroyed, leaving thousands without shelter or aid.

The United Nations and multiple international organizations have condemned the assault and called for immediate investigations into potential war crimes. “The atrocities reported in Zamzam are unconscionable,” said a spokesperson from Amnesty International. “The international community must act decisively to protect civilians and hold perpetrators accountable.”

The RSF, while denying involvement, has claimed the Sudanese army is attempting to frame them for crimes committed by rogue militias or army-affiliated factions. The Sudanese military has yet to issue a full statement on the Zamzam incident.

As families continue to flee the area, aid groups warn that the humanitarian situation is deteriorating rapidly. Access to food, clean water, and medical care is severely limited, and ongoing fighting is preventing relief efforts from reaching those in need.

This latest atrocity in Zamzam underscores the growing toll of Sudan’s civil war on innocent civilians, particularly in displacement camps once considered relatively safe.

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