The United Nations has called for urgent humanitarian access and safe passage for thousands of civilians trapped in the Sudanese city of el-Fasher, after paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) announced they had seized control of the army’s main base in the city.
If confirmed, the capture of the el-Fasher garrison would mark a major strategic victory for the RSF in Sudan’s brutal civil war, leaving the Sudanese army without any remaining foothold in the vast and volatile Darfur region. The military has not officially acknowledged the loss, but witnesses and humanitarian workers describe an increasingly dire situation as fighting engulfs the city.
For 18 months, el-Fasher has been under relentless siege by RSF fighters and allied militias. The once-thriving regional capital is now on the brink of collapse, with entire neighborhoods destroyed, food supplies cut off, and an estimated 250,000 civilians trapped inside. Reports indicate that the RSF has surrounded the city with earthen barricades, blocking all escape routes and cutting off humanitarian aid.
The latest clashes erupted after RSF forces stormed and captured the residence of the North Darfur governor, sparking heavy gunfire across the city. Videos circulating on social media show RSF fighters celebrating inside what they claim to be the headquarters of the Sudanese army’s 6th Division in el-Fasher. However, local militias allied with the army insist that fighting is still ongoing in parts of the city.
The UN’s top humanitarian coordinator, Tom Fletcher, expressed grave concern over the unfolding crisis. “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 in a statement, urging all sides to allow civilians safe passage and humanitarian aid delivery.
The United States has also called for immediate humanitarian corridors and a ceasefire, warning that continued fighting in el-Fasher risks triggering another wave of mass displacement in a country already facing catastrophic humanitarian conditions.
El-Fasher’s fall would signify a major shift in the power balance of Sudan’s civil war. The RSF, led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, has been battling Sudan’s regular army, commanded by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, since April 2023. The conflict began as a power struggle between the two generals following years of joint rule under a transitional military council.
Since then, Sudan has descended into chaos. More than 150,000 people have been killed and around 12 million displaced, making it one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. Towns and villages across Darfur, Kordofan, and Khartoum have been ravaged by airstrikes, massacres, and ethnic violence, with widespread reports of atrocities committed by both sides.
El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, has long been a key strategic and symbolic city. It served as a hub for humanitarian operations and the last major urban center under army control in Darfur. Its loss would consolidate RSF dominance across almost the entire region and parts of neighboring Kordofan, effectively isolating the army in the north and east of the country.
Analysts warn that the RSF’s apparent victory in el-Fasher does not signal the end of the conflict but rather a new and dangerous phase. The paramilitary group has already declared plans to establish a rival government in the city once full control is secured a move likely to deepen the political divide and prolong the war.
As the fighting intensifies, civilians remain the greatest victims. Hospitals have been destroyed or forced to close, food and medicine are running out, and families are sheltering in ruins without electricity or clean water. Aid agencies have repeatedly called for a humanitarian ceasefire, but access remains blocked by both the RSF and army checkpoints.
With the international community warning of a potential famine and mass civilian casualties, the situation in el-Fasher underscores the growing urgency for global intervention. For now, trapped residents continue to wait for a lifeline surrounded by war, starved of aid, and caught in the crossfire of a conflict that shows no sign of ending.
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