Sudanese Military's Last Stronghold Falls to Paramilitary Fighters, Hundreds Killed or Detained

Strategic Insights -

Paramilitary fighters with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have overrun the city of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state, in what the United Nations chief has called a "terrible escalation" of the ongoing conflict in Sudan. The RSF has been accused of killing dozens of civilians and detaining hundreds since taking over the military's base in the city on Sunday, prompting widespread condemnation from human rights groups and the international community.

Key Takeaways:

  • The RSF, a paramilitary force that grew out of the notorious Janjaweed Arab militias responsible for genocide in the 2000s, has been accused of committing atrocities including summary executions, attacks on civilians, and house-to-house raids.
  • The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has received credible reports of atrocities, including sexual violence against women and girls, and graphic footage has flooded social media showing fighters in RSF uniforms shooting and beating people.
  • Medical workers have been abducted, including five medical workers from the Sudan Doctors Network, and a report by the Yale School of Public Health's Humanitarian Research Lab using satellite imagery has found evidence of alleged mass killings by RSF forces.
  • The war in Sudan has killed over 40,000 people and created the world's worst humanitarian crisis, with over 14 million people displaced, and the actual toll is highly likely much higher.

Statistics:

  • 40,000: the number of people killed in the war in Sudan, according to the UN.
  • 14 million: the number of people displaced by the conflict.
  • 31 months: the duration of the war in Sudan.
  • 18 months: the duration of the RSF's siege of the city of El Fasher.
  • 5: the number of medical workers abducted by RSF forces.
  • 4.5: the number of doctors abducted, according to the Sudan Doctors Network.
  • 5: the number of Red Cross volunteers killed in the city of Bara.
  • 3: the number of Red Cross volunteers missing in Bara.

Sources:

  • Associated Press: "Sudan's military says its forces have withdrawn from the city of El Fasher after more than a year of attacks from the RSF."
  • United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs: "Credible reports of atrocities, including summary executions and house-to-house raids, have been received by the UN."
  • Amnesty International: "The RSF must stop its attacks on civilians and allow humanitarian aid into the city of El Fasher."
  • Yale School of Public Health's Humanitarian Research Lab: "Satellite imagery analysis shows evidence of alleged mass killings by RSF forces in El Fasher."
  • International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies: "Five Red Cross volunteers were killed in the city of Bara, and three others are missing."