Khartoum: The war in Sudan’s Darfur region has entered a critical phase as the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) captured the Sudanese army’s last major base in El Fasher, deepening fears of a humanitarian catastrophe in the besieged city.
The RSF’s seizure of the 6th Division military base marks a major blow to the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), which had been fighting to retain its final foothold in Darfur. Residents and aid groups report intense fighting around El Fasher, including shelling and drone strikes that have killed dozens of civilians and destroyed vital infrastructure.
Humanitarian organizations warn that more than 260,000 people, half of them children, remain trapped in the city with little food, medicine, or clean water. Hospitals and aid warehouses have been damaged, while road access remains blocked by RSF checkpoints.
“The situation is catastrophic,” said a local aid worker reached by phone. “People are running out of everything—food, fuel, even water. Many have been sheltering in schools and mosques for weeks.”
In September, one of the deadliest attacks of the year struck a mosque in El Fasher, killing at least 70 worshippers during evening prayers. Rights groups accused the RSF of using drones in the assault, calling it a violation of international law. The RSF has denied deliberately targeting civilians.
The fall of El Fasher would give the RSF complete control over all five states of Darfur, consolidating its hold across the western region. Analysts warn that such a shift could reshape the balance of power in Sudan’s broader civil conflict, which began in April 2023 after a power struggle erupted between the RSF and the army.
The United Nations and international observers have accused the RSF and its allied militias of committing widespread atrocities, including ethnic killings, sexual violence, and the destruction of displacement camps in Darfur. The Sudanese army has also been accused of indiscriminate airstrikes in civilian areas.
In recent weeks, the army attempted limited air supply operations to sustain both its forces and trapped civilians in El Fasher. However, humanitarian agencies say aid remains woefully insufficient, and conditions are worsening by the day.
Despite global calls for a ceasefire, neither side appears willing to compromise. With famine looming and civilian casualties mounting, Darfur’s war-weary population faces one of the darkest chapters since the region’s conflict began more than two decades ago.
International pressure is growing for renewed peace talks, but for now, the people of El Fasher remain surrounded, cut off, and waiting for relief that has yet to arrive.