RSF Seizes Control in El-Fasher Amid Ongoing Humanitarian Crisis

The RSF continues to exert control over El-Fasher, taking over strategic areas including a cattle market and a prison, while civilians suffer from a lack of food and health care in a city facing severe violence and starvation.

The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) launched a major offensive in the beleaguered Sudanese city of El-Fasher on Friday, seizing critical locations and intensifying an already dire humanitarian crisis. Reports indicate that RSF fighters clashed with military forces for seven hours, ultimately capturing a cattle market, a prison, and a military installation while sharing videos of their presence in the city that has been under siege for over 15 months.

Local sources confirm that military forces retaliated early Saturday, pushing the RSF back outside the city limits but not before residents faced the brunt of the ongoing violence. Mathilde Vu from the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) called El-Fasher a “death trap,” citing consistent shelling and attacks on civilian areas.

Witnesses, including 65-year-old Siddig Omar, reported drone attacks and civilian casualties. "One of the shells hit a civilian vehicle near my house, resulting in the death of five people," Omar recounted. This incident underscores the threat civilians face as Sudan enters a full-scale civil war following intense power struggles between the army and RSF since April 2023.

With over 150,000 deaths attributed to the conflict and 12 million people displaced, El-Fasher remains the last city in Darfur under military control. However, a communications breakdown complicates reporting as information trickles in solely through satellite internet users. The humanitarian situation has reportedly worsened, with many residents relying on local volunteers for food, often under life-threatening conditions.

The RSF's latest assault follows weeks of artillery strikes leading to increased apprehension among the population. Reports indicate that the group is utilizing drones more extensively, exacerbating the scale of violence. Accusations against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for financing RSF operations complicate the geopolitical landscape as both local and international entities grapple with the escalation of conflict.

Displaced individuals from the largest camp near El-Fasher, Zamzam, have sought refuge but face severe shortages of food and clean water. NRC’s Mathilde Vu highlighted the desperate conditions reported by refugees who escape armed attacks, often arriving in Tawila under horrifying circumstances. Health officials warn of cholera outbreaks, exacerbated by heavy rains threatening makeshift shelters.

As conditions in El-Fasher and surrounding areas deteriorate, local voices plead for immediate assistance, revealing the extent of survival challenges faced by civilians. "We are in a critical situation," said one resident. "There is no bread, no food, and no work. Even if you have money, there is nothing available to buy."

The situation demands urgent international attention as the International Criminal Court (ICC) has noted reasonable grounds to investigate allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity, particularly focused on the RSF's actions against non-Arab populations in the region.