Siege Tightens on Sudan City with Fiercest RSF Assault: What We Know
The western Sudanese city of El-Fasher has been under siege for more than a year by paramilitary forces seeking to capture it amid a wider war with the army that began in April 2023.
KHARTOUM: The western Sudanese city of El-Fasher has been under siege for over a year by paramilitary forces known as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), aiming to seize control from the Sudanese army.
This latest strategic front in the conflict marks an intensification of hostilities as the RSF seeks to capture the last major city held by the army in the Darfur region, consolidating power and potentially establishing a rival government.The RSF, which evolved from the Janjaweed Arab militias accused of genocide in the early 2000s, aims to gain control over all five Darfur state capitals.
This move has significant implications as the conflict's outcome could determine the future political landscape of western Sudan.
The current war originated from a power struggle between the army chief Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan and RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, over integrating the RSF into the regular army following a previous alliance.As of recent satellite imagery analysis by Yale University's Humanitarian Research Lab, the area controlled by the army has shrunk to less than 13 square kilometers out of El-Fasher's total of about 80 square kilometers.
The city's defenses are primarily concentrated around the airport in the west and include the Abu Shouk displacement camp in the north, Shalla prison in the south, and as far east as the Grand Souk.The RSF has significantly expanded its control by constructing over 31 kilometers of dirt berms that now encircle El-Fasher, effectively trapping its population.
This strategic move has disrupted access to basic necessities such as clean drinking water and food, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian situation.
The UN estimates that around 300,000 civilians remain trapped inside the city, cut off from aid and facing severe malnutrition, starvation, and violence.The RSF's assault on Zamzam displaced hundreds of thousands of people, with fears of another mass exodus if El-Fasher falls.
Capturing the city would also give the RSF control over all five Darfur state capitals, strengthening its push for a parallel administration in western Sudan.
Experts warn of potential mass atrocities against the Zaghawa tribe similar to the massacres in 2023.The ongoing conflict has become an existential battle for both sides.
The RSF seeks legitimacy and supply lines from allies like Libya, Chad, and the United Arab Emirates, while the Joint Forces, primarily composed of Zaghawa fighters, view El-Fasher as their last line of defense.
Political analyst Kholood Khair describes the situation in El-Fisher as a siege similar to Stalingrad, likely leading to more death and destruction before it ends.
This latest strategic front in the conflict marks an intensification of hostilities as the RSF seeks to capture the last major city held by the army in the Darfur region, consolidating power and potentially establishing a rival government.The RSF, which evolved from the Janjaweed Arab militias accused of genocide in the early 2000s, aims to gain control over all five Darfur state capitals.
This move has significant implications as the conflict's outcome could determine the future political landscape of western Sudan.
The current war originated from a power struggle between the army chief Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan and RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, over integrating the RSF into the regular army following a previous alliance.As of recent satellite imagery analysis by Yale University's Humanitarian Research Lab, the area controlled by the army has shrunk to less than 13 square kilometers out of El-Fasher's total of about 80 square kilometers.
The city's defenses are primarily concentrated around the airport in the west and include the Abu Shouk displacement camp in the north, Shalla prison in the south, and as far east as the Grand Souk.The RSF has significantly expanded its control by constructing over 31 kilometers of dirt berms that now encircle El-Fasher, effectively trapping its population.
This strategic move has disrupted access to basic necessities such as clean drinking water and food, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian situation.
The UN estimates that around 300,000 civilians remain trapped inside the city, cut off from aid and facing severe malnutrition, starvation, and violence.The RSF's assault on Zamzam displaced hundreds of thousands of people, with fears of another mass exodus if El-Fasher falls.
Capturing the city would also give the RSF control over all five Darfur state capitals, strengthening its push for a parallel administration in western Sudan.
Experts warn of potential mass atrocities against the Zaghawa tribe similar to the massacres in 2023.The ongoing conflict has become an existential battle for both sides.
The RSF seeks legitimacy and supply lines from allies like Libya, Chad, and the United Arab Emirates, while the Joint Forces, primarily composed of Zaghawa fighters, view El-Fasher as their last line of defense.
Political analyst Kholood Khair describes the situation in El-Fisher as a siege similar to Stalingrad, likely leading to more death and destruction before it ends.
