Why it matters:
El-Fasher’s fall marks a turning point in Sudan’s 18-month civil war. Once a vital humanitarian hub and the last army stronghold in Darfur, the city now faces one of the gravest civilian crises since the 2003 genocide. The international community has issued urgent warnings of “mass atrocities in real time.”
The big picture:
The RSF, formed from the Janjaweed militias previously accused of ethnic cleansing in Darfur, has been engaged in conflict with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) since April 2023. Its capture of El-Fasher consolidates control over nearly all of Darfur, leaving hundreds of thousands of civilians trapped without access to food, medicine, or safe passage.
What they're saying:
According to the United Nations and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), nearly 177,000 civilians remain trapped, with 33,485 displaced in just three days.
Yale University’s Humanitarian Research Lab reports that satellite imagery reveals RSF tactical formations conducting “house-to-house clearance operations,” along with evidence consistent with human remains in residential areas.
The El-Fasher Resistance Coordination reported that “all the wounded and injured inside the Saudi Hospital were executed in horrific ways.”
Sudanese authorities have accused the RSF of committing “massacres, summary executions, and mass displacement” across affected communities
A 56-kilometer earthen berm constructed by the RSF now blocks critical aid routes and escape corridors, further isolating civilians in the region.
Key points:
- The RSF’s final assault broke the army’s last defensive line in El-Fasher.
- Eyewitnesses, social media content, and open-source reports describe mass killings and collective executions.
- The conflict has killed thousands and displaced millions of people since April 2023.
Between the lines:
The RSF’s advance echoes the atrocities committed by the Janjaweed militias in the early 2000s, when tactics such as siege warfare, starvation, and ethnic targeting were documented by international courts. Analysts warn that Sudan is on the brink of full-scale fragmentation, with Darfur now effectively beyond Khartoum’s control.
Go deeper:
Rapid Support Forces Kill 47 Civilians in Sudan’s North Kordofan
Hossein Vaez - Hossein Vaez
