Mass killings in el-Fasher: What’s going on in Sudan right now?
As-salamu alaykum. I’m sharing a summary for anyone following the situation in Sudan.
Human rights groups say the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) carried out mass atrocities after taking the besieged city of el-Fasher in North Darfur. Thousands are feared dead since the group seized the city.
El-Fasher fell after about 18 months under siege, during which supplies of food and medicine were blocked and hundreds of thousands were trapped. The wider conflict in Sudan has lasted over two years and has caused massive loss of life and displacement.
Here’s what is reported:
- The RSF captured el-Fasher, taking the last positions of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) in Darfur. Different sources report thousands killed since the seizure. Medical and rights groups say many civilians were killed, detained, and hospitals attacked.
- Around 1.2 million people had been under siege in the city, surviving on very limited supplies. Barriers blocked routes and aid for months.
- Verified videos and witness accounts indicate executions, torture, and other brutal acts by RSF fighters. Several organizations report possible ethnic motives for some killings.
- Independent analysis using satellite imagery found evidence consistent with mass killings in areas where there had been no such signs before the RSF advance.
- Over 26,000 people fled el-Fasher in just two days, mostly on foot, while hundreds of thousands remain trapped or displaced.
- Atrocities have also been reported in nearby areas such as Bara, where humanitarian workers and volunteers were reportedly killed or went missing.
Strategic and political context:
- With el-Fasher’s fall, the RSF now controls much of western Sudan, while the SAF holds parts of the east. The country is effectively split between the two sides.
- The RSF began as the Janjaweed militias and later became a formal force; it has been accused of major abuses in Darfur for years. Tensions between RSF and SAF leadership eventually led to open war in April 2023 over who should lead and how forces would be integrated.
- International efforts to broker peace, including proposals for temporary truces and a transition to civilian rule, have so far not stopped the fighting.
Human cost and concerns:
- Rights groups warn that RSF control of el-Fasher and Darfur risks catastrophic consequences for civilians, especially those from sedentary, non-Arab communities. There are many reports of door-to-door killings, large numbers killed at hospitals where people were sheltering, mass detentions, and sexual violence.
- Darfur is also strategically important and resource-rich, which analysts say is a factor in the conflict.
What leaders are saying:
- SAF commanders said they withdrew forces from el-Fasher to try to save civilians, while vowing to respond. RSF leaders claim they seek unity and deny wrongdoing, saying they will hold perpetrators accountable.
- The international community and regional actors have tried various diplomatic tracks, but the recent capture of el-Fasher complicates talks and the path to any ceasefire.
Please make dua for the victims, the displaced, and for peace and protection for civilians. May Allah grant safety to those suffering and guide leaders toward a just resolution.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news