EL-FASHER, Sudan – The United Nations has called for safe passage for tens of thousands of civilians trapped in the Sudanese city of El-Fasher after paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) claimed to have seized control of the army’s main base — a move seen as a major shift in the country’s 18-month civil war.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres described the fighting as a “terrible escalation,” warning that the suffering of civilians in Darfur’s last army-held city had become “unbearable.”
The RSF announced over the weekend that it had overrun the Sudanese army’s headquarters in El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur.
Verified social media footage shows RSF fighters celebrating inside the base, though the army has not confirmed the loss. Local pro-army militias say clashes are still ongoing in parts of the city.
‘Epicentre of suffering’
El-Fasher has been under siege for months, surrounded by RSF fighters who reportedly built an earth wall around the city, trapping nearly 250,000 residents and cutting off humanitarian access.
Aid agencies have described the area as the “epicentre of suffering,” where starvation, disease, and relentless shelling have pushed civilians to the brink.
The UN’s top humanitarian coordinator, Tom Fletcher, said he was “deeply alarmed” by reports of civilian deaths.
“With fighters pushing further into the city and escape routes cut off, hundreds of thousands of civilians are trapped and terrified — shelled, starving, and without access to food, healthcare, or safety,” he said. “Civilians must be allowed safe passage and be able to access aid.”
The United States has also joined calls for safe evacuation routes and is reportedly involved in efforts to broker a ceasefire.
Turning point in the war
If confirmed, the RSF’s capture of El-Fasher would mark a significant blow to the army and signal the loss of its final stronghold in Darfur — a region already devastated by ethnic violence and displacement.
The RSF now controls most of Darfur and large parts of neighbouring Kordofan, while the army maintains dominance over the north and east.
Analysts say the paramilitary’s advance could embolden its leadership to move ahead with plans to form a rival administration in Darfur.
Sudan has been engulfed in war since April 2023, when tensions between army chief Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, erupted into nationwide conflict.
The fighting has killed more than 150,000 people and displaced over 12 million, according to UN estimates — one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
Despite the RSF’s battlefield gains, observers warn that the capture of El-Fasher is unlikely to bring peace.
Instead, it risks deepening Sudan’s fragmentation and prolonging a war that has already left vast parts of the country in ruin.
