Minnawi Comments on RSF attack on Zamzam IDPs Camp

In a dangerous development that reflects the deteriorating field and humanitarian conditions in Darfur, the governor of Darfur region, Commander Minni Arko Mnnawi, announced that the Rapid Support Forces militia launched a large-scale attack on the Zamzam camp for displaced persons on Friday, resulting in an unprecedented deterioration in the humanitarian situation inside the camp.

Minnawi noted in a post on his Facebook account that the attack came at a time when international calls were escalating to allow humanitarian aid to reach the displaced, but the Rapid Support Forces militia ignored these calls and continued to target civilians.

Minnawi added that the attack targeted Zamzam camp, one of the largest displacement camps in Darfur, which houses thousands of people fleeing conflict zones and is suffering from severe shortages of food, water, and medicine.

Minnawi accused the Rapid Support Forces of deliberately targeting civilians, describing the attack as a “criminal act” and a flagrant violation of international law.
He emphasized that these actions indicate the militia’s policy of siege and starvation against the local population.

The attack exacerbated the humanitarian crisis in El Fasher, where displaced people are suffering from dire conditions, while any attempts to bring in aid were blocked.

At the same time, human rights organizations and political leaders called for urgent intervention by the United Nations and the African Union to protect the lives of civilians in Zamzam camp, noting that the attack constitutes a war crime for which those responsible must be held accountable.

Analysts believe the attack is part of a systematic plan targeting displacement camps, especially those that reject militia control or where independent humanitarian organizations operate.