Zamzam and Abu Shouk are two camps in North Darfur, Sudan. While the number of residents in each camp fluctuates, Zamzam is one of the largest internally displaced person camps in Sudan, sheltering around half a million individuals. Despite being originally established in 2004 due to the War in Darfur, they now host residents who were displaced by the current Sudan conflict (2023–present). In addition to facing famine and significant humanitarian challenges, these camps have been affected by considerable shelling, indiscriminate shooting, and arson by the RSF, a paramilitary group in Sudan, as part of their Siege of El Fasher.

The following is an estimated timeline of the deaths and injuries resulting from such attacks, compiled from the Wayback Machine archives of the Sudan Tribune (supplemented by sources like Radio Dabanga, AP News, and The Defense Post):

• April 13, 2024 – Siege of El Fasher offensive phase begins

• May 22, 2024 – 2 killed in Abu Shouk

• June 18–19, 2024 – 18 killed, 25 injured in Abu Shouk

• June 25, 2024 – 5 killed in Abu Shouk

• August 12–26, 2024 – 25 killed, 40 injured in Abu Shouk

• November 23, 2024 – 7 killed, dozens injured in Abu Shouk

• December 1, 2024 – unspecified number of people killed and injured in Zamzam

• December 2, 2024 – 8 killed, 13 injured in Zamzam

• December 4, 2024 – 24 killed, dozens injured in Zamzam

• December 10, 2024 – 9 killed, unspecified number of people injured in Zamzam

• December 11, 2024 – 15 killed, 64 injured in Zamzam

• December 26, 2024 – 3 killed, 3 injured in Abu Shouk

• January 11, 2025 – 16 killed, 42 wounded in Zamzam

• January 20, 2025 – 11 killed, 18 injured in Abu Shouk

• January 23, 2025 – 2 killed, 7 injured in Abu Shouk

• January 29, 2025 – 7 killed, 12 injured in Abu Shouk

• February 1, 2025 – 11 killed, 18 wounded in Abu Shouk

• February 7, 2025 – 3 killed, unspecified number of people wounded in Zamzam

• February 11–12, 2025 – 31 dead, 81 injured in Zamzam

• March 4, 2025 – more than 80 killed or injured in Abu Shouk

• March 31, 2025 – 7 killed, 9 injured in Abu Shouk

• April 2, 2025 – 2 killed, 4 injured in Abu Shouk

• April 7, 2025 – 3 killed, 9 injured in Abu Shouk

• April 10, 2025 – 15 killed in Abu Shouk

• April 10–13, 2025 - RSF attacks both camps and seizes control of Zamzam Camp. While the UN reports hundreds of deaths, the Guardian claims that a committee was set up to investigate the true death toll on these dates, which is estimated at 1500 deaths. TimesLIVE and Amnesty International approximate that 400000 people were displaced due to the assault.

Please note that this list is not exhaustive, and all the figures represent minimum estimates. The actual numbers of deaths and injuries are likely significantly higher.

There is also visual documentation corresponding to specific dates of the attacks:

• May 22, 2024 in Abu Shouk

  • A video from the Sudan Tribune of the RSF attacking Abu Shouk (posted May 23, 2024)

  • A video on X of fighters on the east side of Abu Shouk camp (posted May 23, 2024, but originally uploaded the day before)

  • Pictures from the Darfur Network for Human Rights:

• December 10–11, 2024 in Zamzam

  • Pictures of burnings from December 10-11, 2024 on Sudan Tribune article:

• February 11–12, 2025 in Zamzam

  • A video on X of Zamzam market ablaze and RSF announcing their arrival in the camp (posted February 12, 2025)

  • A video on X of burnings occurring in the Zamzam camp (posted February 12, 2025)

  • FIRMS map indicating heat anomalies in Zamzam camp on February 12, 2025:

• April 10–13, 2025 in Zamzam

  • A video on X of RSF storming Zamzam (posted April 12, 2025)

  • A video on X of RSF militia attacking the Zamzam camp (posted April 12, 2025)

  • A video on X of RSF overrunning a local health centre in Zamzam (posted April 12, 2025)

  • Satellite imagery from Reuters showing vehicles near Zamzam camp on April 11, 2025:

• FIRMS map indicating heat anomalies in Zamzam camp on April 11–13, 2025:

Although it is difficult to definitively establish the presence of mass graves around these areas, there does exist evidence of burial activity. By analyzing satellite imagery, Reuters identified unusual cemetery expansion in Zamzam camp from December 18, 2023 to May 3, 2024.

Around Zamzam camp, Reuters also managed to identify over 1200 new burial mounds using satellite imagery from June 2023 to November 2024.

A report from the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab also highlighted digging and rapid expansion at the Naivasha Maqabir cemetery in Abu Shouk. Local media outlet Darfur24 further supports this finding, reporting that cemeteries are so full that people have had to turn to mass graves for burials.

The report also offers a satellite imagery analysis of the cemetery, alongside other areas in Abu Shouk’s Naivasha Market where conflict-related damage was observed:

Recent Developments

Sources like the United Nations OHCHR and AL Jazeera have confirmed the occurrence of recent attacks on 11–20 August 2025, resulting in at least 89 civilian deaths (16 of which appear to be summary executions) though the actual number of fatalities are believed to be significantly higher.

In a different report from the previous one, the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab analyzed satellite imagery of vehicles that was consistent with independent ground reports of the massacre on 11 August 2025. Moreover, an increase of 190 burial mounds was observed between 3 August and 10 September 2025.

Conclusion

As demonstrated by the constructed timeline, we have a high degree of confidence that the RSF has committed systematic and repeated violence on the Zamzam and Abu Shouk camps, including considerable shelling, indiscriminate shooting, and arson. This pattern was sustained from April 13, 2024 to April 13, 2025 in both camps. For Zamzam, this culminated in the RSF’s seizure of the camp; meanwhile, there exists ample evidence of recent Abu Shouk attacks in August 2025.

While definitive death tolls are difficult to find, we managed to provide minimum estimates that likely do not capture the full, significant scope of casualties. These claims align with reports from both local and international news sources, which are further corroborated by visual evidence on social media platforms, heat anomaly data, and satellite imagery that indicates unusual cemetery expansion.

Hence, we urge the perpetrators to take accountability for these human rights violations and the international community to recognize the severity of this violence.