The United Nations, citing a “reliable source”, said more than 400 people have been killed in the recent attacks of the Paramilitary Rapid Support Force (RSF) in Darfur, Sudan.
Last week, the RSF launched a strong ground and air attack on refugee camps around the city of El-Fasher, trying to capture the last state capital of its rival Sudanese army held in Darfur.
The two warring sides have been locked in a bloody power struggle since April 2023. This has created the world's biggest humanitarian crisis and forced millions to flee their homes.
The UN said it had verified 148 homicides between Thursday and Saturday, but warned that the behavior was much higher.
UN spokeswoman Ravina Sharmdasani told the BBC that their verification process is still underway and that their numbers do not include violence on Sunday.
Ms Sharmdasani said: “The reliable source reports that more than 400 people have been killed.”
The United Nations said at least nine humanitarian aid workers were killed.
Refugee camps around El-Fasher – Zamzam and Abu Shouk – provide temporary accommodation for 700,000 people, many of whom are facing famine.
The RSF said in a statement issued on Saturday that the attacks on civilians were not held responsible, and the scenes of Zamzam's killing were staged to discredit his troops.
The next day, the group said it had completed the “successful liberation” camp from the Sudanese army. RSF accused the army of using Zamzam as “army barracks, innocent civilians as human shields.”
El-Fasher is the last major town in Darfur under the control of the army, and the RSF has been besieged for a year. The brutal civil war in Sudan will enter its third year on Tuesday.
Volker Türk, the head of human rights at the United Nations, called on all parties involved to “renew their determination and take meaningful measures to resolve the conflict”.
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced a £120 million food and aid package to Sudan at a meeting in London on Tuesday to mark the conflict’s second anniversary.
He said Sudan's stability is “critical to our national security.”
The UK will co-chair talks with the African Union and the EU.
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