Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) claim to have captured el-Fasher, a key city in western Darfur.
The RSF announced they seized the city “from the grip of mercenaries and militias allied with the terrorist army,” delivering a serious blow to the Sudanese army, which had previously held the city as its last position in Darfur. The military has not yet responded.
Before this, the RSF reported taking over the army’s 6th Division headquarters, destroying substantial military equipment. BBC-verified videos show RSF fighters inside the seized base. Pro-government militias, the Popular Resistance, accused the RSF of a “media disinformation campaign” aimed at weakening their morale.
The RSF had besieged el-Fasher for 18 months, trapping around 300,000 civilians amid repeated bombardments. Satellite images revealed earthen walls constricting the city, apparently to contain its inhabitants. The RSF approached the army’s command centre from several fronts and are now close to full control as remaining government-held areas are expected to fall soon.
“Hundreds of thousands of civilians are trapped and terrified—shelled, starving, and without access to food, healthcare, or safety,” UN Relief Chief Tom Fletcher said. Intensified fighting has made delivering aid nearly impossible. Widespread hunger and disease afflict the trapped populations.
UN investigators accuse the RSF of crimes against humanity during the siege. The U.S. government has declared that the RSF committed genocide against Darfur’s non-Arab communities. Since conflict erupted in 2023 after a rift between RSF leaders and the army, over 150,000 people have died and some 12 million displaced.
The army retains control over the north and east, but the RSF dominates almost all of Darfur and large parts of Kordofan. The RSF has indicated plans to set up a rival government in al-Fasher once fully in control, deepening Sudan’s political crisis.