RSF Launches Major Assault on El-Fasher Amid Ongoing Darfur Conflict

Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) launched a major assault on the city of el-Fasher on Friday, marking their largest incursion since the siege of the Darfur city began over a year ago, according to witnesses and aid officials. RSF fighters captured the livestock market, a prison, and a military base during a seven-hour battle, before the army pushed them back beyond the city limits on Saturday morning.

Residents reported continued shelling, including drone attacks, after the army's counteroffensive. Siddig Omar, a local resident, said that one shell struck a civilian vehicle near his home, resulting in the deaths of five people. The RSF has mounted frequent attacks on el-Fasher, but this operation was notable for the scale of its advance and the temporary capture of key sites.

The ongoing conflict between Sudan's army and the RSF, which erupted in April 2023, has led to widespread famine, mass displacement, and allegations of genocide in Darfur. More than 150,000 people have died nationwide, and around 12 million have been displaced, according to United Nations estimates. El-Fasher remains the only major city in Darfur under military control, but a communications blackout has made independent verification of events difficult.

Mathilde Vu, advocacy manager for the Norwegian Refugee Council in Sudan, described el-Fasher as a "death trap," citing weekly shelling and attacks on civilian infrastructure. > "There are local volunteers... risking their lives every day to try and provide a little bit of food for people who are mostly starving," Vu told the BBC. She added that people fleeing to Tawila, a nearby town now hosting nearly 379,000 displaced individuals, face cholera outbreaks and inadequate shelter as the rainy season approaches.

Residents interviewed by emergency radio described severe shortages of food, medicine, and basic necessities. One man said, "Right now, we are suffering deeply, and everyone around us is facing the same hardship." Another noted that even food waste products like ombaz are no longer available due to factory closures, and called for urgent assistance.

The International Criminal Court recently stated there are "reasonable grounds" to believe that war crimes and crimes against humanity are being committed in Darfur. In January 2025, the United States determined that the RSF and allied militias had committed genocide against the region's non-Arab population.