Zamzam and Abu Shouk Refugee Camp Massacres

During the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continuously shelled and attacked displaced-persons camps near the city of El Fasher as part of its siege of that city. The attacks primarily targeted Zamzam camp and Abu Shouk camp, resulting in significant civilian casualties and widespread destruction of infrastructure. Sudanese government officials and humanitarian organizations described the incidents as among the most severe human rights violations of the conflict.

The RSF's shelling of the two camps has been continuous since it began its offensive on El Fasher on 13 April 2024. At Abu Shouk, recorded incidents include 19 killed and 25 injured in June 2024, 24 killed and 40 injured on 26 August 2024, 7 killed on 23 November 2024, and 3 killed on 26 December 2024. Attacks continued into 2025, including at least 11 killed on 20 January, 2 killed on 23 January, 7 killed and 12 injured on 29 January, 11 killed on 1 February, more than 80 killed and injured on 4 March, 7 killed on 31 March, and further deaths into May. At Zamzam camp, multiple attacks in December 2024 killed dozens, and 2025 attacks included 16 killed on 11 January, 3 killed on 7 February, and 31 killed on 12 February following two days of RSF assaults that forced thousands to flee to Tawila.

The most severe episode occurred in April 2025. An initial RSF offensive against Zamzam camp began on 10 April 2025, with military operations continuing through 12 April, involving successive waves of attacks on both camps. RSF forces reportedly destroyed hundreds of residential structures, marketplaces, and medical facilities, including Zamzam's central marketplace. The General Coordination of Displaced Persons and Refugees advocacy group reported "hundreds dead and wounded," with women and children constituting the majority of victims. United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator Clementine Nkweta-Salami confirmed at least 100 civilian fatalities across both camps, including more than twenty children and nine humanitarian workers. An assault on Abu Shouk camp alone killed 35 civilians according to refugee advocacy groups, including at least 15 killed and 25 injured in shelling on 10 April. The camps had housed approximately 700,000 internally displaced persons at the time.

On 13 April 2025, the RSF seized control of Zamzam camp, displacing 400,000 people, and has since been destroying the camp through deliberate arson. An RSF-allied militia abducted 40 aid workers and about 50 civilians who were evacuating Zamzam. The RSF converted the camp into a military base.

The RSF issued a formal denial of involvement in atrocities at Zamzam, claiming that footage showing civilian suffering was fabricated by the Sudanese Armed Forces as part of a misinformation campaign. Various humanitarian organizations classified the incidents as potential war crimes and crimes against humanity, a characterization explicitly used by the General Coordination of Displaced Persons and Refugees in official communications.