Why it matters:
El-Fasher was the last stronghold of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) in Darfur. Its fall raises the risk of widespread atrocities and potential genocide, threatening hundreds of thousands of trapped civilians and fueling one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.
The big picture:
Sudan has been engulfed in civil war for nearly two and a half years, displacing 12 million people and killing an estimated 40,000, according to the United Nations. Rights groups warn that RSF actions in Darfur echo the Janjaweed's ethnic cleansing campaigns of the early 2000s.
What they’re saying:
Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF): Over 2,000 civilians killed since Sunday.
Sudan Doctors Network: At least 1,500 killed; hospitals attacked and medical staff detained.
UN Human Rights Office: RSF carried out summary executions and “actions indicating ethnic motivations.”
Rights Organizations: RSF attacks “may amount to war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.”
Key points:
RSF launched a major assault after enforcing an 18-month blockade on El-Fasher.
1.2 million residents were trapped, forced to survive on animal feed as food and medicine were cut off.
RSF built 56 km of barriers to prevent aid and civilian escape.
460 people were killed inside the Saudi Hospital, the city’s last functioning medical center.
33,000 people have fled toward Tawila, which already shelters 650,000 displaced civilians.
State of play:
El-Fasher, the last city in Darfur not under RSF control, has now fallen. With escape routes sealed, humanitarian agencies warn that hundreds of thousands remain at imminent risk.
Between the lines:
The RSF, descended from the Janjaweed militia, has long been accused of systematic ethnic violence in Darfur. Analysts say its rapid battlefield gains reflect foreign support and weapons flows, while SAF forces struggle to maintain cohesion.
Go deeper:
Rights groups have urged the UN Security Council and African Union to intervene to prevent “a repeat of the 2003 Darfur genocide.” Aid organizations warn of an impending famine if humanitarian corridors are not opened immediately.
Reports of Mass Killings and Ethnic Cleansing After El-Fasher Falls to Sudan’s RSF
Hossein Vaez - Mojtaba Darabi
