Massacre in el-Fasher Sudan
Tragically, thousands of people are believed to have been killed in el-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state in western Sudan, following the takeover by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The city fell into their hands on Sunday after enduring an 18-month siege, which cut off access to food and essential supplies for countless individuals trapped within its borders.
The RSF took control of el-Fasher on Sunday, marking the end of the Sudanese Armed Forces’ last stronghold in the Darfur region. By Wednesday, reports from the Sudanese Armed Forces indicated that around 2,000 people had lost their lives, while the Sudan Doctors Network reported at least 1,500 fatalities.
For the past 18 months, approximately 1.2 million residents in the city have been living under siege, struggling to survive on animal feed as the RSF constructed 56 kilometers (about 35 miles) of barriers that blocked food and medical supplies and cut off escape routes.
Online videos, verified, depicted RSF fighters executing and torturing individuals. In the past, RSF members have often filmed themselves carrying out such horrific acts.
Sudanese medical and human rights organizations, including the Sudan Doctors Network, have accused the RSF of carrying out mass killings, detaining individuals, and attacking hospitals.
The UN Human Rights Office reported that the RSF’s actions included summary executions of those attempting to flee, and there are “indications of ethnic motivations for the killings.”
In just two days, over 26,000 people have fled el-Fasher, with most making the journey on foot towards Tawila, which is about 70 kilometers (43 miles) to the west, according to the UN. Meanwhile, around 177,000 civilians are still trapped in el-Fasher, as reported by the International Organization for Migration.
At the same time, disturbing reports are coming out of Bara, located in the neighboring North Kordofan state. The RSF claimed it took control of the area on October 25 and has allegedly been attacking both civilians and humanitarian workers.
On Monday, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies announced that five Sudanese volunteers from their organization were killed in Bara, with three others still unaccounted for.
Bara is situated just outside el-Obeid, a key city currently held by the SAF, but the RSF is making advances to capture it.
El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, was the last major city standing against the RSF until this past Sunday. With its capture this week, the country is now effectively split, with the SAF controlling the east and the RSF taking over the west.
The RSF has set up a parallel government throughout Darfur, while the Sudanese army maintains its strongholds in the eastern, central, and northern regions.
El-Obeid, the oil-rich capital of North Kordofan state, sits in the Kordofan region next to Darfur and serves as a vital link between Darfur and Khartoum.
Currently, El-Obeid is under SAF control, but the RSF is making moves to encircle it. Losing this crucial buffer would be a significant blow to SAF, as it connects their base in Khartoum to RSF territory, according to analysts.
On October 25, the RSF announced it had recaptured Bara, which is just 59 kilometers (37 miles) from El-Obeid. This area had recently been taken by SAF in September.
The RSF has been launching attacks on El-Obeid from Bara, trying to lay siege to it, and now they are getting closer to El-Obeid, where at least 137,000 people were seeking refuge as of July, according to Mercy Corps.
Massacre in el-Fasher Sudan
