KHARTOUM, Sudan

At least 16 people were killed and 18 injured in artillery shelling by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on the Abu Shouk displacement camp in western Sudan, activists reported Monday.

The Abu Shouk Emergency Committee, composed of activists and relief volunteers, issued a statement describing the attack as a “tragic event” in which RSF forces shelled the camp in El Fasher with heavy artillery.

It said the shelling “primarily targeted a market inside the camp, causing significant civilian casualties, including 16 deaths and 18 injuries.”

The Committee urged human rights organizations to “ensure the necessary protection for displaced persons in the Abu Shouk camp to stop the bloodshed among civilians.”

Similarly, the General Coordination for Displaced Persons and Refugees in Darfur, a civil society entity, condemned the attack as a “new massacre” caused by RSF heavy artillery fire. The group reported additional casualties and injuries but did not specify numbers.​​​​​​​

The RSF had not commented on the reports.

El Fasher, a key hub for humanitarian operations across Darfur's five states, has been a flashpoint for violence since May 10, despite international warnings against further escalation

The conflict between the Sudanese army and the RSF, which began in mid-April 2023, has claimed more than 20,000 lives and displaced 14 million people, according to the UN and local authorities.

A study by US-based universities estimates the death toll at around 130,000.

International organizations have warned about a worsening humanitarian catastrophe, with millions facing famine and death due to food shortages amid fighting that has spread to 13 of Sudan’s 18 states.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio