Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces seized El Fasher, the army’s last holdout in Darfur, after a prolonged siege that trapped about 260,000 civilians. Rights groups verified videos showing executions as the army withdrew, saying it was to spare civilians.
El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, fell to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) after more than 18 months under siege, marking the loss of the Sudanese army’s final stronghold in the region and giving the RSF control over all five Darfur state capitals. Humanitarian agencies and reporters said communications blackouts complicated immediate assessments, but multiple outlets and UN agencies indicated RSF fighters entered and overran key military positions over the weekend. The city’s remaining population is estimated at roughly 260,000. [According to AP, Washington Post and UNFPA.] (apnews.com)
The RSF traces its roots to the Janjaweed militias implicated in atrocities during the 2003–05 Darfur conflict. Independent profiles and analysts describe the RSF as an outgrowth of those forces under commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti. (britannica.com)
Human Rights Watch said videos it verified show RSF fighters committing extrajudicial killings in and around the city, including footage geolocated to a berm that encircles parts of El Fasher. UN human rights chief Volker Türk repeatedly warned this month of a mounting risk of large‑scale, ethnically motivated abuses; earlier UN updates documented dozens of civilian deaths in days of drone and shelling attacks, including a mosque strike on September 19. (hrw.org)
The health system has buckled. In January, the World Health Organization condemned a deadly strike on the Saudi Teaching Maternal Hospital — described as the only functioning hospital in the area at the time — and urged an end to attacks on care. Aid groups now report severe malnutrition and the collapse of essential services amid the takeover. (reuters.com)
While precise casualty figures remain uncertain, the war that began in April 2023 has killed tens of thousands and displaced more than 14 million people, according to UN agencies. Modeling by public‑health researchers suggests actual deaths are far higher than reported in some areas. In January 2025, the United States determined that RSF forces and allied militias committed genocide in Darfur and sanctioned the group’s leader. (apnews.com)
Allegations that the RSF received arms and logistical support from the United Arab Emirates have been detailed by UN experts and international reporting; the UAE denies arming the RSF and says its flights delivered humanitarian aid. (reuters.com)
Gen. Abdel Fattah al‑Burhan, Sudan’s de facto leader, said the army withdrew from El Fasher to “spare the remaining citizens and the rest of the city from destruction,” vowing to continue the fight. His statement came as aid groups and monitors reported killings, detentions and looting following the city’s fall. (sudantribune.com)
Darfur Governor Minni Arko Minnawi decried international inaction, saying, “Your silence has brought shame to history,” and called for accountability and support for civilians. He has also alleged foreign assistance to the RSF and urged investigations into reported massacres. (fides.org)