Dozens of worshippers were tragically killed in El Fasher, Sudan, early Friday morning when paramilitary forces launched a missile strike directly at a mosque during morning prayers. Local medics and aid workers confirmed the horrifying incident.
This attack marks one of the deadliest in months within El Fasher, a city in the western Darfur region that has endured a brutal, nearly 18-month siege. Paramilitary groups have intensified their assault, bombing residential areas where tens of thousands of civilians, already grappling with severe hunger, sought refuge.
According to Suleman, a senior doctor at the nearby Al Saudi hospital, who personally visited the site and spoke by phone, at least 84 bodies were recovered from the mosque’s ruins. The victims included several women and children. Minni Minnawi, the regional governor of Darfur, whose forces are engaged in the conflict, reported a toll of “over 60.”
“The scene was harrowing beyond description,” Suleman recounted, requesting anonymity to shield his family from potential repercussions.
An interactive map illustrates the location of El Fasher within Sudan’s Darfur region, providing geographical context to the ongoing conflict.
The doctor confirmed that the missile struck the Al Jamia mosque when it was crowded with worshippers. He verified that disturbing videos circulating on social media, which depicted bloodied bodies trapped beneath rubble and twisted steel, accurately reflected the aftermath. “I saw all of this and more,” he stated.
Tragically, among those killed was Dr. Omar Selik, a physician who had recently shared insights into the desperate conditions faced by an estimated 260,000 trapped civilians in El Fasher, struggling to survive amidst bombardment and severe food scarcity. His death was independently confirmed on Friday by a relative and Dr. Suleman.
During a video call last week, Dr. Selik had vividly described malnourished children resorting to eating animal feed. He even showed his own meal—a plate of the same unappetizing paste—lamenting, “There’s nothing else.”
The siege of El Fasher is being orchestrated by the Rapid Support Forces (R.S.F.), a powerful paramilitary group embroiled in Sudan’s civil war against the national military since April 2023. Following their expulsion from the capital, Khartoum, in March, the R.S.F. retreated to Darfur, their traditional stronghold and recruitment base.
El Fasher, serving as the capital of North Darfur state, represents the last significant obstacle for the R.S.F. in their bid to gain complete control over the entire region.
Just days after his interview, Dr. Selik texted, reporting intensified R.S.F. bombing near his home, located less than a mile from Sudanese military positions. “Now we are under attack again,” he wrote. “Too much killing of people.”
Since May, R.S.F. fighters have constructed a 20-mile-long earthen wall partially encircling El Fasher, effectively cutting off crucial food and medicine supplies. Civilians attempting to escape have faced brutal assaults, being beaten or shot.
Reports, including social media videos and confirmation from Colombian President Gustavo Petro, indicate that Colombian mercenaries are fighting alongside the R.S.F. in El Fasher. President Petro last month referred to them as “specters of death.”
Earlier this month, human rights investigators from the United Nations declared that R.S.F. atrocities in El Fasher constitute crimes against humanity. Denise Brown, the top U.N. official in Sudan, condemned Friday’s mosque attack as a potential war crime and demanded accountability for those responsible.
The R.S.F. recently announced the formation of its own government in Nyala, 110 miles south of El Fasher, with its leader, Lt. Gen. Mohamed Hamdan, at the helm. The paramilitary group has not responded to inquiries regarding this article.
Satellite imagery and other intelligence suggest that the R.S.F. now holds sway over most of El Fasher. The Yale School of Public Health reported on Thursday that fierce fighting was concentrated around a former U.N. peacekeeping base, now repurposed as a command center for ethnic militias aligned with Sudan’s military.
The R.S.F. offensive is significantly bolstered by advanced Chinese-made armed drones. Several of these drones were reportedly visible in satellite images captured over El Fasher on Thursday.
Eyewitnesses, including Dr. Suleman from Al Saudi hospital, claimed 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 remarked, “I can see it.”
The United Arab Emirates, recognized as the primary foreign supporter of the R.S.F., has supplied the paramilitary group with artillery, medical assistance, and Chinese-manufactured drones, some of which have been deployed during the siege of El Fasher. Sudan’s government has also accused the U.A.E. of recruiting the Colombian mercenaries fighting with the R.S.F.
The U.A.E., however, denies any involvement in supporting either faction in the ongoing conflict.
“Those thugs have declared repeatedly that they intend to wipe us out,” shared Taha Khater, an aid worker in El Fasher, in a text message on Friday, referring to the R.S.F.
He concluded with a desperate plea: “Please, we are dying before the eyes of the whole world and no one is speaking up.”