Sudan's Darfur Region Plunged into Crisis as el-Fasher Falls to RSF, Leaving Widespread Atrocities in Its Wake

Strategic Insights -

The city of el-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur in Sudan, has fallen to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) after an 18-month siege, marking a significant turning point in Sudan's civil war. The RSF's capture of el-Fasher gives the paramilitary control over all five state capitals in Darfur, leaving an estimated 260,000 civilians trapped in the city, half of them children. Mohammed Zakaria, a Sudanese video journalist and human rights activist, has been monitoring the deteriorating situation from Kampala, Uganda, and has lost three uncles and fears for the life of another uncle amidst reports of mass killings and atrocities.

Key Takeaways:

  • The RSF's capture of el-Fasher marks a significant turning point in Sudan's civil war, giving the paramilitary control over all five state capitals in Darfur.
  • An estimated 260,000 civilians remain trapped in el-Fasher, half of them children, with reports of widespread atrocities and mass killings.
  • Satellite imagery and social media footage have pointed to mass killings by RSF fighters, reportedly along ethnic lines, with the Yale School of Public Health's Humanitarian Research Lab documenting evidence consistent with mass killings.
  • The UN has documented 1,350 deaths, while the Sudan Doctors Network and the Joint Forces report have estimated 460 and 2,000 people killed, respectively.
  • Mohammed Zakaria has lost three uncles and fears for the life of another uncle amidst reports of mass killings and atrocities.
  • The RSF has denied allegations of atrocities, stating that they are committed to "protecting civilians," but social media footage has shown RSF fighters carrying out summary executions of civilians.
  • A communications blackout has cut off connection from the city, leaving those with loved ones there in a state of anxious uncertainty.

Statistics:

  • 260,000 civilians remain trapped in el-Fasher, half of them children.
  • 18 months: the duration of the RSF's siege on el-Fasher.
  • 17 months: the time el-Fasher had appealed for intervention before the city fell.
  • 100: the number of people Mohammed Zakaria knows remain unaccounted for in el-Fasher.
  • 460: the estimated number of people killed in Saudi Hospital, according to Darfur's governor.
  • 2,000: the claimed number of people killed by an RSF commander on social media.
  • 26,000: the number of people who have fled the fighting in el-Fasher, according to the UN.

Sources:

  • "Sudan's army retakes presidential palace in Khartoum, strikes blow to RSF" (Al Jazeera, 21 March 2025)
  • "Yale report finds evidence of RSF mass killings in Sudan's el-Fasher" (Al Jazeera, 28 October 2025)
  • "Sudan's RSF closes in on capturing all of Darfur" (Al Jazeera, 8 November 2023)
  • "UN warns of potential ethnically driven atrocities in Sudan's el-Fasher" (Al Jazeera, 2 October 2025)