Early Friday morning, a tragic event unfolded in the beleaguered city of El Fasher, Sudan. Paramilitary forces launched a missile strike on a mosque during morning prayers, resulting in the deaths of dozens of individuals, according to reports from local medics and aid workers.
This attack stands as one of the deadliest in months for El Fasher, a city in the Darfur region of western Sudan. Paramilitary groups have escalated their relentless, nearly 18-month siege, relentlessly bombing residential areas where tens of thousands of civilians, already grappling with severe hunger, sought refuge.
At least 84 bodies, including women and children, were recovered from the devastated mosque, confirmed Suleman, a senior doctor at the Al Saudi hospital, who surveyed the scene. Minni Minnawi, Darfur’s regional governor whose forces are involved in the conflict, reported a death toll of “over 60.”
Suleman, who requested to be identified by only his first name due to fears for his family’s safety, described the scene as “harrowing beyond description.”
Map Credit: The New York Times
The Al Jamia mosque, filled with worshippers for early morning prayers, was directly hit by the missile, the doctor recounted. He confirmed that social media videos depicting bloodied bodies amidst rubble and twisted steel were accurate.
“I witnessed all of this and even more,” he tragically added.
Among those killed was Dr. Omar Selik, a physician who had recently communicated with reporters about the severe plight of an estimated 260,000 civilians caught in El Fasher. These residents are struggling to survive constant bombardment with critically scarce food supplies. His death was verified on Friday by both a family member and Dr. Suleman.
During a video call conducted over one of the city’s few remaining satellite connections, Dr. Selik described how malnourished children were forced to eat food typically reserved for livestock. He then showed his own meager meal – a plate of the same unappetizing paste.
“There is simply nothing else left to eat,” he stated.
The siege on El Fasher is spearheaded by the Rapid Support Forces (R.S.F.), a paramilitary organization locked in conflict with Sudan’s military since the nation plunged into civil war in April 2023. Following their expulsion from the capital, Khartoum, in March, the R.S.F. retreated to Darfur, their traditional stronghold and recruiting ground.
El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state, represents the final obstacle to their complete dominance over the region.
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Following the publication of the earlier report, Dr. Selik sent a text message revealing that R.S.F. bombing around his home had escalated. His residence is located less than a mile from a besieged group of Sudanese military and allied fighters. “Now we are under attack again,” he wrote. “Too much killing of people.”
In May, R.S.F. combatants started constructing a 20-mile-long earthen wall, partially encircling the city. This blockade has prevented essential food and medicine from reaching El Fasher. Civilians attempting to escape have been met with violence, some beaten or even shot dead.
Reports from social media videos and a statement from Colombian President Gustavo Petro indicate that Colombian mercenaries are fighting alongside the R.S.F. in El Fasher. Petro described them last month as “specters of death.”
Earlier this month, U.N. human rights investigators declared that the R.S.F.’s actions in El Fasher constitute crimes against humanity. On Friday, Denise Brown, the leading U.N. official in Sudan, condemned the mosque attack as a potential war crime and demanded accountability for those responsible.
The R.S.F. recently declared the formation of its own government in Nyala, located 110 miles south of El Fasher, under the leadership of Lt. Gen. Mohamed Hamdan. The paramilitary group did not respond to inquiries for this report.
Satellite imagery and other intelligence suggest that the R.S.F. now holds control over the majority of El Fasher, as reported by the Yale School of Public Health on Thursday. Researchers also noted ongoing heavy fighting around a former U.N. peacekeeping base, which had been converted into a stronghold by ethnic militias allied with Sudan’s military.
The R.S.F.’s offensive is reportedly supported by advanced Chinese-made armed drones, some of which were visible in satellite images captured over El Fasher on Thursday.
Witnesses told Suleman of the Al Saudi hospital that an R.S.F. drone was responsible for the mosque attack on Friday morning. “Right now, the drone is still moving in the sky,” he stated. “I can see it.”
The United Arab Emirates, a key foreign supporter of the R.S.F., has reportedly provided the paramilitary group with artillery, medical assistance, and Chinese-made drones. Some of these drones have been deployed in the siege of El Fasher, according to previous reports. Sudan’s government has also accused the U.A.E. of recruiting the Colombian mercenaries who are fighting with the R.S.F. in the city.
The U.A.E., however, denies any involvement in supporting either faction in the ongoing conflict.
Taha Khater, an aid worker in El Fasher, relayed via text message on Friday, “Those thugs have repeatedly declared their intention to eliminate us,” referring to the R.S.F.
He urgently pleaded, “Please, we are dying before the eyes of the entire world, and no one is speaking up.”