The Sudanese paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) asserts that it has captured the army headquarters in the besieged city of El-Fasher, marking a turning point in the nation's civil war.
In a statement released via social media, the RSF claimed to have destroyed huge military vehicles and taken military equipment from the army's 6th Division Headquarters.
Various videos surfacing on social media, confirmed by BBC Verify, show RSF fighters within the army base. This loss is a massive blow to government forces, as El-Fasher was their last significant stronghold in the Darfur region, effectively leaving the RSF in control.
For the past 18 months, the RSF has been surrounding El-Fasher, with army positions and civilians frequently under siege. Estimates suggest around 300,000 people have been trapped in the fighting.
In August, satellite imagery depicted extensive earthen walls constructed around the city, aimed at preventing people from leaving.
The RSF has been advancing towards the 6th Infantry Division command, regarded as the army headquarters in El-Fasher, from multiple directions for weeks. While some areas of the city remain under army and allied group control, these are not expected to hold for much longer.
As humanitarian conditions worsen, with hunger and disease increasing among the city’s residents due to ongoing bombardment and declining food and medical supplies, the RSF faces accusations from UN investigators of numerous crimes against humanity committed during the siege. The US has claimed the RSF has genocidal intent against Darfur’s non-Arab population.
Since the onset of the conflict in 2023, instigated by a power struggle between top commanders of the RSF and the Sudanese army, over 150,000 lives have been lost, and approximately 12 million individuals have been displaced, creating one of the most severe humanitarian crises in recent times.
While the army maintains control over large sections of the north and east, El-Fasher remained the final urban stronghold in Darfur for government forces. The RSF now controls nearly all of Darfur and much of the neighboring Kordofan region, aiming to establish a rival government once they obtain full control of El-Fasher.
