Assalamu alaykum - RSF says it captured army base in El Fasher, claims control of Darfur
Assalamu alaykum. Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are saying their fighters have seized the only army base in El Fasher, and they claim this completes their control over Darfur.
They say the garrison, home to the army's 6th Division and allied militias, fell after a 17-month siege in northern Darfur. Reports from the RSF claim heavy losses for army troops and militiamen and the destruction of military equipment. The RSF statement described the event as a turning point and framed it as part of building a new state for Sudan.
The army hasn't commented publicly yet. Video shared by the RSF showed fighters inside the garrison celebrating, with damaged buildings and bullet marks visible in the background. One fighter was heard shouting that they had raised "the banner of freedom."
This capture comes as the war in Sudan enters its third year, a conflict that has killed tens of thousands and displaced over 13 million people. The United Nations says nearly 30 million people face food shortages because of the fighting, which is largely driven by a power struggle between army chief Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF commander Gen. Mohamed Dagalo.
If true, El Fasher's fall would mean the RSF controls most of Darfur - a region roughly the size of France - and parts of Kordofan, while the army still holds Khartoum and other regions. Sudan now effectively has two rival administrations: one aligned with the army and another with the RSF.
Background: the RSF grew out of the Janjaweed militias that were active in Darfur in the 2000s. The RSF says it is fighting for marginalized communities in places like Darfur, Kordofan and Blue Nile.
May Allah grant safety to the civilians caught up in this, ease the suffering of those displaced, and guide the leaders toward a just and peaceful solution. Please keep the people of Sudan in your duas.
https://www.thenationalnews.co