The capture of El Fasher by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) marks a devastating turning point in Sudan’s brutal civil war, extinguishing the last hope for civilians in Darfur and igniting urgent warnings from human rights advocates worldwide about an impending massacre and escalating genocide. This guide dives into the historical context, current implications, and the desperate pleas for international intervention to avert further catastrophe.
In a grave development for Sudan, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have seized control of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur. This strategic city was the last major stronghold of the country’s armed forces in the western Darfur region, and its fall signals a deepening humanitarian catastrophe and reignites fears of ethnically motivated violence on a genocidal scale. The conflict, ongoing since April 2023, has already claimed the lives of an estimated 150,000 people and displaced 14 million more, according to the Norwegian Refugee Council.
Sudan’s army chief and de facto head of state, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, confirmed the retreat of his troops from El Fasher on Monday, citing the systematic killing of civilians and widespread destruction. For over a year, the RSF had besieged the city, seeing it as their final barrier to absolute control over Darfur, a region where they aim to establish a parallel government. This latest conquest leaves hundreds of thousands of civilians trapped and vulnerable, prompting dire warnings from international observers.
A City on the Brink: The Immediate Impact on El Fasher’s Civilians
The situation in El Fasher is nothing short of dire. Tom Fletcher, the United Nations humanitarian chief, reported that hundreds of thousands of civilians remain trapped, cut off from essential food and healthcare. Escape routes have been blocked by “intense shelling and ground assaults” that have engulfed the city, as detailed by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). While the RSF claims a commitment to protecting civilians and providing safe corridors, reports from the ground paint a different picture.
The UN Human Rights Office has received “multiple, alarming reports” of RSF atrocities, including summary executions of civilians and videos depicting unarmed men being shot. Disturbingly, these reports indicate “ethnic motivations for killings,” a deeply troubling echo of past violence in Darfur. Justin Lynch, a Sudan researcher, told CNN that the RSF’s capture of El Fasher marks “the beginning of what we fear to be a massacre of civilians.”
Mutasim Ali, a legal advisor at the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights and a native of El Fasher, emphasizes the profound despair among the city’s inhabitants. He notes that the population, estimated by the UN at 800,000 but believed to be much higher, largely consists of internally displaced persons (IDPs) who have already fled other RSF-controlled areas. With no viable escape routes to neighboring Chad across the surrounding desert lands, people are “just giving up” and waiting for their fate, having lost hope in the international community’s ability to intervene effectively.
Echoes of the Past: The RSF’s Genocidal Legacy in Darfur
The specter of genocide looms large over El Fasher, given the RSF’s origins and history. The group emerged from the notorious Janjaweed militia, which was responsible for the Darfur genocide in the early 2000s, leading to an estimated 300,000 deaths. This past is not merely historical context; it is a blueprint for current actions. The United States has formally accused the RSF of committing genocide in the ongoing civil war, marking the second time in two decades that the US has made such a declaration regarding Sudan.
The US government’s declaration in January highlighted “direct attacks against civilians,” including the systematic murder of “men and boys – even infants – on an ethnic basis.” It also detailed deliberate targeting of “women and girls from certain ethnic groups for rape and other forms of brutal sexual violence,” along with preventing access to life-saving supplies for fleeing civilians. These actions reflect a pattern eerily similar to the earlier genocide in Darfur. Between April 2023 and mid-October 2025, the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) documented 390 incidents of violence against civilians in El Fasher and its surroundings, resulting in over 1,300 reported fatalities, and 180 attacks on IDPs leading to at least 830 deaths. Jalale Getachew Birru, a senior analyst at ACLED, warns of a “high risk of ethnically targeted attacks, particularly against non-Arab groups,” echoing the tragic events seen in El Geneina, the capital of West Darfur, which the RSF sacked in June 2023, leading to mass atrocities.
The Roots of Conflict: A Power Struggle Unravels Sudan
The current civil war stems from a brutal power struggle between two former allies: Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Sudan’s army chief, and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who heads the RSF. For 30 months, these two powerful generals, who once jointly orchestrated the overthrow of President Omar al-Bashir in 2019 and played key roles in a subsequent coup in 2021, have been locked in a devastating conflict for control of Sudan. Both leaders have faced Western sanctions for their involvement in war crimes, highlighting the international community’s condemnation of their actions.
Further complicating the geopolitical landscape, Sudan’s military government has accused the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of supplying weapons to the RSF, an allegation the UAE has consistently denied. This accusation underscores the regional dimensions of the conflict and the complex web of alliances and rivalries fueling the violence across Sudan.
Who are the Rapid Support Forces (RSF)?
The RSF is a paramilitary group with an estimated 100,000 fighters, roughly half the size of the conventional Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) as reported by GIGA-Hamburg. Its history is inextricably linked to ethnically-driven violence. Originating from the Arab Janjaweed militia, the RSF has a long record of atrocities, particularly against non-Arab populations in Darfur. Their current campaign to establish a parallel government in the region reflects a deeply entrenched ambition for control, fueled by a readiness to employ brutal tactics against civilians.
El Fasher’s Strategic Significance and What Lies Ahead
The fall of El Fasher represents a pivotal moment in the Sudanese conflict. According to ACLED analyst Jalale Getachew Birru, this victory allows the RSF to significantly strengthen its hold on the broader Darfur region. This comes after the SAF recently regained control of the country’s capital, Khartoum, from the RSF earlier this year, shifting the balance of power yet again.
With Darfur largely consolidated under RSF control, fighting is now anticipated to shift towards the central and oil-rich Kordofan region, which borders Darfur. The RSF has already announced the capture of Bara, a crucial transport hub in North Kordofan state. The outcome of these battles in Kordofan, alongside the events in El Fasher, “will likely determine the future trajectory of Sudan’s conflict and the country’s political future,” Birru stated. For the RSF, securing El Fasher and by extension Darfur, also positions them in a significantly stronger negotiating stance amid ongoing global pushes for a ceasefire.
A Call to Conscience: The International Community’s Role
As violence intensifies and civilian casualties mount, international human rights lawyer Yonah Diamond has issued a stark plea, questioning whether world leaders would allow the RSF “to commit another genocide in Darfur with impunity.” This sentiment is echoed by the desperate civilians in El Fasher, who, having witnessed repeated failures of international intervention, are reportedly losing hope. The scale of the humanitarian crisis, now the largest in the world, demands immediate attention.
The consensus among experts and human rights advocates is clear: emergency action is imperative. This includes ending the bloodshed, opening secure humanitarian corridors for aid delivery and civilian escape, and ultimately protecting the people of El Fasher from further atrocities. The world’s response to the fall of El Fasher will not only shape the future of Sudan but also serve as a critical test of global conscience.
