Sudan’s brutal civil war reached another devastating milestone this week as the national army abandoned its last remaining stronghold in the Darfur region after intense clashes with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The fall of El Fashir, the regional capital of North Darfur, marks a major victory for the RSF and a critical setback for Sudan’s armed forces in the 18-month-long conflict.
For weeks, fierce battles raged across El Fashir, one of the few urban centers still under army control in western Sudan. Residents described relentless shelling, airstrikes, and street-to-street combat that left large parts of the city in ruins. According to local sources, thousands of civilians were trapped amid the fighting as humanitarian access collapsed.
The Sudanese army, which earlier managed to reclaim the capital Khartoum after months of urban warfare, now finds itself losing significant ground in the country’s south and west. The RSF, originally a paramilitary group with roots in Darfur’s Janjaweed militias, has steadily consolidated control over key territories, tightening its grip on supply routes and border crossings.
The human toll of the war has been staggering. More than one-third of Sudan’s population—over 12 million people—has been displaced since fighting broke out in April 2023. Of those, 3.3 million have sought refuge in neighboring countries including Chad, Egypt, and South Sudan. The United Nations estimates that at least 150,000 people have been killed, though the true figure is likely far higher given the limited access to conflict zones.
Sudan’s healthcare system is on the brink of collapse, with over 20 million people now in urgent need of medical care. Hospitals have been destroyed or looted, and aid agencies report severe shortages of food, water, and medicine. The ongoing violence has also raised fears of ethnic cleansing in Darfur, where atrocities reminiscent of the early 2000s genocide have been reported once again.
International mediators continue to call for a ceasefire, but peace talks have repeatedly stalled amid deep mistrust between the warring factions. With El Fashir now under RSF control, analysts warn that the humanitarian crisis will worsen unless the international community steps up diplomatic and relief efforts.
As Sudan’s war grinds on, millions of civilians remain caught in the crossfire — facing hunger, disease, and displacement in one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters.
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