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Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have declared control over El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur and the Sudanese army's last major stronghold in the vast western region. The city's fall marks a significant turning point in the country's devastating civil war, triggering a massive humanitarian crisis as tens of thousands of civilians flee the violence.
In a televised address, Sudan's military chief, Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, confirmed that he had approved the army's withdrawal from the city. He stated the decision was made in coordination with local leaders to protect the city from "systematic destruction and killing of civilians." The capture of El Fasher represents a major strategic blow to the national army and effectively cedes control of the entire Darfur region to the RSF.
The United Nations has reported that more than 60,000 people have fled the city following the RSF's takeover. For months, humanitarian agencies had warned of a looming catastrophe in El Fasher, which had become a refuge for hundreds of thousands displaced from other parts of Darfur. The UN Security Council had previously demanded an end to the siege, highlighting the grave risk to the civilian population trapped by the fighting.
The conflict is a result of a brutal power struggle that erupted in April 2023 between former allies: Gen. al-Burhan of the national army and Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, who leads the RSF. The ongoing civil war has plunged the nation into chaos, displacing millions and creating one of the world's worst humanitarian disasters. The RSF's consolidation of power in Darfur, a region historically scarred by conflict, fuels concerns about further ethnic violence and mass atrocities.
The victory in El Fasher emboldens the RSF, which had previously announced the formation of a rival civilian government in areas under its control. The development further fractures Sudan and complicates international efforts to mediate an end to a war that has shattered the country and left its population facing starvation and widespread violence. The conflict's roots lie in the country's unstable political transition following the ousting of long-time ruler Omar al-Bashir.
