Drone Strike on Mosque Kills Dozens in Darfur, Escalating Sudan’s Civil War
EL FASHER, SUDAN – A drone strike on a mosque in the besieged city of El Fasher, North Darfur, has reportedly killed more than 70 worshippers, according to Sudanese army officials and local aid workers. The attack, blamed on the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), marks one of the deadliest single incidents in the city since the group began its siege, further highlighting the devastating toll the country’s two-year-old civil war is taking on civilians.
Rescue Efforts Underway Amid Devastation
The strike, which occurred during morning prayers, completely destroyed the mosque. First responders and local volunteer groups, known as Emergency Response Rooms, have been searching through the rubble, with fears that the death toll will rise as more bodies are recovered. Witnesses and aid workers, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the risk of retaliation, described a scene of utter devastation and confirmed the targeting of civilians.
Siege of El Fasher Intensifies
This latest act of violence comes as the RSF intensifies its push to capture El Fasher, the last major stronghold of the Sudanese army in the vast Darfur region. The city has been under a total blockade by the RSF for months, a siege that has created a dire humanitarian crisis. The UN and human rights organizations have repeatedly warned that the escalating violence and the blockade are pushing the city’s hundreds of thousands of residents to the brink of famine.
Background of Sudan’s Civil War
The conflict in Sudan, which began in April 2023, is a result of a power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF. While the RSF has made significant gains, seizing control of large parts of Darfur, the SAF has recently recaptured territory in the capital, Khartoum. The fighting has been characterized by widespread atrocities, including ethnically motivated killings, sexual violence, and attacks on civilian infrastructure, leading to what the UN has called one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. With millions displaced and essential services collapsed, aid groups and international organizations have struggled to deliver life-saving assistance to those trapped by the fighting.
Humanitarian Crisis Deepens as UN Warns of Atrocities
The recent UN report on the situation in Sudan detailed a significant rise in civilian casualties in the first half of the year, with more than 3,300 documented civilian deaths. The report noted that a substantial portion of these casualties were due to attacks in densely populated areas using artillery and drones. This latest attack on the mosque in El Fasher is a grim confirmation of this trend, raising further alarms about the potential for ethnically motivated violence should the city fall. The international community continues to appeal for a cessation of hostilities and safe humanitarian access, but there has been no sign of a truce.
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