El Fasher,February 8(Darfur 24)
Civilians fleeing the areas of Golo, Shaqra and Saluma west of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, reported that the Rapid Support Forces continued to launch attacks on villages and areas surrounding the city.
Eyewitness Mustafa Haroun from the town of Shaqra west of El Fasher told Darfur 24 that they were forced to return to El Fasher on foot after the Rapid Support Forces attacked the town from the west.
He pointed out that a number of civilians were killed and wounded, all property was looted, and citizens were terrorized.
He stated that RSF all the satellite communication devices, locally called “Wi-Fi” in the town, which exceeded 20 devices, and forced residents to flee to Zamzam camp for the displaced and El Fasher city.
In the same context, a local leader in the town of Golo, located about 20 km west of El Fasher – who preferred to withhold his name for security reasons – told Darfur 24 that large forces of the Rapid Support Forces penetrated the town last week after the withdrawal of the joint force of armed movements present in the Golo reservoir that supplies El Fasher with drinking water.
He reported that the Rapid Support Forces looted citizens’ property and livestock, and forcibly displaced residents towards the city of El Fasher, Zamzam camp for the displaced, and some neighboring villages northwest of Golo on foot.
He pointed out that the humanitarian situation is tragic for the displaced from the areas of Golo, Shaqra, and Zamzam camp, with an increase in the pace of violence and looting by some armed groups that use motorcycles, and threaten the safety of some displaced people in the valleys near Zamzam camp.
He revealed a severe shortage of food, drinking water and shelter, insecurity, fear and panic among civilians, who are being pursued by the Rapid Support Forces, which are committing more atrocities against women and children.
He called on human rights and humanitarian organizations to intervene immediately to stop the attacks on civilians in El Fasher and neighboring areas, and to provide food, medicine and shelter as soon as possible, and to form a special force to protect those fleeing the areas of Golo, Shaqra and Zamzam camp for the displaced.
The International Organization for Migration says that the fighting in El Fasher has displaced more than 423,000 people.