An attack on the refugee camp of ZamZam, Sudan, carried out by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in April 2025, may have killed more than 1,500 civilians, according to a new investigation published on August 7. At least 2,000 ZamZam residents are unaccounted for. The camp was home to 500,000 people and is currently occupied by the RSF.
Witnesses of the 72-hour attack reported the execution of children and pregnant women by the militants, some of whom were adolescents. The attack came during a peace conference on Sudan held in London and in the context of the civil war between the United Arab Emirates-backed Rapid Support Forces and the Egypt-backed Sudanese Armed Forces. The conflict started in April 2023 and has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced nearly 13 million.
The International Criminal Court released a statement in July saying that war crimes and crimes against humanity are happening in Darfur.
The concept of internationally recognized war crimes is still a fairly new one, with significant developments within the last century that have formed the basis for how we define and categorize the offense today. So, instead of wondering how the horrific images and reports of civilian deaths can continue appearing in the headlines every day, click through to learn about what actions violate international laws, and how those norms governing conflict even came to be.