Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) say they have seized control of the strategic western city of El-Fasher, in what could mark a decisive shift in the ongoing civil war.
In an announcement shared on social media, the RSF claimed it had wrested the city “from militias and mercenaries aligned with the army,” portraying the advance as a major victory over government forces. The Sudanese army has not yet issued a response.
El-Fasher has served as the Sudanese military’s last major stronghold in Darfur. If the RSF’s claim is confirmed, the takeover would effectively grant the rebel force dominance over nearly the entire region.
The development follows the RSF’s declaration that it overran the headquarters of the army’s 6th Division, destroying armored vehicles and capturing military hardware in the process. Videos circulating online appear to show RSF fighters inside the captured base, and their authenticity has reportedly been verified.
Pro-army groups, including the Popular Resistance, have dismissed the RSF statements as part of a disinformation effort aimed at undermining troop morale. However, the situation inside the city has deteriorated dramatically after an 18-month siege that has left hundreds of thousands of civilians trapped amid relentless shelling.
With food supplies dwindling and medical care collapsing, hunger and disease are spreading rapidly. International human rights monitors have accused the RSF of atrocities throughout the siege, including crimes against humanity, while the United States has previously said the group is responsible for genocide targeting non-Arab communities in Darfur.
The power struggle in Sudan erupted in 2023, when relations between the RSF and the national army leadership disintegrated, plunging the country into widespread violence. Since then, more than 150,000 people have been killed and around 12 million displaced, creating one of the world’s gravest humanitarian emergencies.
While government forces still hold territory in Sudan’s north and east, El-Fasher had been their final major urban foothold in Darfur.
RSF forces now control almost the entire region, as well as significant areas of neighboring Kordofan. The group has indicated plans to establish its own governing authority in El-Fasher if its grip over the city becomes absolute.
