The United Nations has appealed for secure evacuation routes for civilians trapped in the war-ravaged city of el-Fasher after paramilitary forces claimed to have captured the Sudanese army’s main stronghold there.
The Sudanese military has not confirmed losing control of the base, which, if true, would represent a major triumph for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) amid the ongoing civil conflict.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the latest clashes as a “terrible escalation” of the war and said the plight of civilians had become “unbearable.”
El-Fasher, the army’s last remaining position in the Darfur region, has been under siege by RSF forces and allied militias for the past 18 months.
Intense fighting reportedly broke out on Saturday after RSF fighters overran the residence of the North Darfur governor.
Verified footage circulating online shows RSF troops rejoicing after taking over the army’s headquarters in el-Fasher.
The RSF claims to have gained full control of the city, but local forces loyal to the army insist that clashes are still raging in several areas.
The paramilitary group has been accused of deliberately attacking civilians and encircling nearly 250,000 residents with barricades of sand and debris, cutting off food supplies and pushing many to the brink of famine.
El-Fasher has become one of the deadliest fronts in Sudan’s civil war, prompting the UN to describe it as an “epicentre of suffering.”
The UN’s humanitarian chief, Tom Fletcher, said he was “deeply alarmed” by reports of mass civilian casualties.
“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,” Fletcher said in a statement.
“Civilians must be allowed safe passage and be able to access aid,” he added.
The United States has also urged that civilians be granted safe passage and is reportedly engaging in efforts to broker a ceasefire between the warring sides.
A full RSF takeover of el-Fasher would represent a significant rebound for the group following earlier setbacks in Khartoum. However, it also signals that the war is far from over.
Sudan has been engulfed in conflict since 2023, when tensions between the RSF and the national army’s top commanders erupted into a full-blown struggle for power.
The fighting has killed more than 150,000 people and displaced roughly 12 million others, making it one of the gravest humanitarian disasters in the world.
While the army continues to hold much of northern and eastern Sudan, el-Fasher had been the last major urban centre under its control in Darfur.
The RSF now dominates nearly all of Darfur and large sections of the neighbouring Kordofan region.
The group has previously declared its intention to establish a rival administration in el-Fasher once it consolidates complete authority over the city.
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