Thousands of civilians remain trapped and in grave danger in El-Fasher, western Sudan, after the city’s fall to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), according to Doctors Without Borders (MSF). The humanitarian organization described the situation as dire, while Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul called it “apocalyptic” amid mounting reports of atrocities.
The RSF, which has been battling Sudan’s regular army since April 2023, seized El-Fasher on Sunday, marking the collapse of the army’s final stronghold in Darfur after an 18-month siege characterized by starvation, relentless shelling, and civilian suffering.
Since the takeover, reports have surfaced of mass executions, sexual violence, looting, abductions, and attacks on aid workers, as communications from the city remain largely severed. Survivors who managed to reach the nearby town of Tawila, about 70 kilometers west, recounted horrific scenes of killings, including children being shot in front of their parents.
According to the United Nations, more than 65,000 people have fled El-Fasher since Sunday, but tens of thousands are still trapped. Before the RSF’s final offensive, the city was home to around 260,000 residents.
“Large numbers of people remain in grave danger and are being prevented by the Rapid Support Forces and its allies from reaching safer areas,” said MSF in a statement.
Only 5,000 people have reached Tawila, prompting concerns from MSF’s head of emergencies, Michel Olivier Lacharite, who questioned the fate of those unaccounted for.
“The most likely, albeit frightening, answer is that they are being killed, blocked, or hunted down when trying to flee,” he said.
Reports of Mass Killings and Detentions
Witnesses told MSF that a group of about 500 civilians attempting to escape alongside government soldiers was ambushed, with many either killed or captured by the RSF and its allies. Survivors described how people were separated by gender, age, and ethnicity, and that several remain held for ransom.
The UN estimates that the death toll from the RSF’s assault may already be in the hundreds, while some army-aligned groups claim the number exceeds 2,000 civilians.
Satellite analysis from Yale University’s Humanitarian Research Lab supported these accounts, revealing at least 31 sites consistent with mass graves or bodies across residential areas, university grounds, and military compounds between Sunday and Friday. The lab concluded that “indicators that mass killing is continuing are clearly visible.”
International Outcry
Speaking at a regional conference in Bahrain, Germany’s top diplomat described Sudan as facing “the greatest humanitarian crisis in the world.” He stressed that the RSF must be held accountable for the atrocities despite its recent claims of arresting fighters accused of abuses.
UK Foreign Minister Yvette Cooper, also addressing the gathering, condemned the reports as “truly horrifying,” citing mass executions, deliberate starvation, and the systematic use of sexual violence as weapons of war.
Both the RSF which evolved from the Janjaweed militias responsible for atrocities during the Darfur genocide two decades ago and the Sudanese army have been accused of war crimes. The United States has already determined that the RSF’s actions in Darfur amount to genocide.
A Nation Divided
The RSF’s capture of El-Fasher gives it control over all five Darfur state capitals, effectively splitting Sudan into two: the RSF controlling the west, and the army maintaining its hold over the north, east, and central regions.
UN officials warn that violence is now spreading to Kordofan, where reports of new mass atrocities are emerging.
Since the conflict erupted, tens of thousands have been killed and nearly 12 million people displaced, creating the world’s largest displacement and hunger crisis.
As international concern grows, humanitarian organizations are calling for immediate access to El-Fasher to reach survivors and for global action to halt what they describe as a continuing campaign of terror and extermination in Darfur.
