RSF Offensive in Darfur Kills Over 30 Civilians \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) launched a deadly assault on el-Fasher, killing over 30 civilians and wounding dozens. The attack marks the latest escalation in a brutal civil war that has displaced millions and devastated Darfur. Humanitarian access remains blocked, with key refugee camps under siege.
Quick Looks
- RSF and allied militias attacked el-Fasher, killing at least 30 civilians.
- The city is the provincial capital of North Darfur, home to over 1 million displaced people.
- Shelling resumed Monday, striking residential areas and open markets.
- The Sudanese army controls el-Fasher, and the RSF seeks to take it.
- The RSF evolved from Janjaweed militias, notorious for atrocities in Darfur.
- Last week, 400+ were killed in nearby camps for displaced persons.
- Zamzam camp, Sudan’s largest, is now inaccessible to humanitarian aid.
- The ongoing war has reportedly claimed over 24,000 lives, with numbers likely higher.
Deep Look
In a devastating escalation of Sudan’s ongoing civil war, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and its allied militias launched a fresh offensive on el-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, over the weekend, killing more than 30 civilians and injuring dozens more, according to local activists.
The assault began on Sunday and continued into Monday, with RSF units reportedly shelling homes and open markets, spreading chaos and panic among the city’s already overwhelmed and displaced population. The Resistance Committees, a prominent activist network that tracks developments in Sudan, confirmed the casualties and detailed the scope of destruction.
There has been no comment from RSF leadership, but the attack is part of a broader campaign to seize full control of Darfur, a region long marked by ethnic and political violence.
El-Fasher: The Last Bastion in Darfur
El-Fasher, located over 800 kilometers (500 miles) from Sudan’s capital Khartoum, is one of the last major cities in Darfur still held by Sudan’s military forces. For over a year, the RSF has repeatedly attempted to capture the city, viewing it as a strategic gateway to asserting dominance over the entire western region.
The city, now home to over 1 million people, has become a humanitarian pressure cooker. Most of its residents are displaced individuals who fled earlier waves of violence in Sudan’s decades-long conflict and the more recent full-blown civil war that began over two years ago.
The RSF, which grew out of the Janjaweed militias used by former President Omar al-Bashir during the Darfur conflict of the early 2000s, has been widely accused of committing ethnic violence, rapes, and mass killings. Today, they continue to follow similar brutal tactics, including scorched-earth campaigns and indiscriminate bombardment of civilian areas.
Renewed Bloodshed Amid a Humanitarian Collapse
Sunday’s assault comes just days after a two-day RSF offensive on el-Fasher and nearby refugee camps, Zamzam and Abu Shouk, where the United Nations says more than 400 people were killed.
The Zamzam camp, Sudan’s largest, was emptied of up to 400,000 residents during the latest attack. UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the site has become inaccessible to aid organizations, cutting off food, water, and medical supplies to one of the most vulnerable populations in the country.
The renewed violence has compounded a dire humanitarian crisis in Sudan, where aid deliveries have already been hampered by conflict, bureaucratic delays, and targeted attacks on humanitarian workers. Civilians trapped in el-Fasher and surrounding camps now face famine, disease, and relentless violence with no safe corridors for evacuation.
A War Without End
Sudan’s civil war, now in its third year, pits the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, against the RSF, commanded by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as “Hemedti.”
The conflict erupted after a power-sharing agreement collapsed in 2021, turning two former allies into bitter rivals. Since then, Sudan has been caught in a state of lawlessness and widespread ethnic violence, with more than 24,000 people reported dead—though observers estimate the true toll is much higher.
The United Nations, African Union, and Arab League have all issued calls for ceasefires, yet international mediation efforts have repeatedly failed. Both factions continue to compete for territory, control of oil fields, and access to key urban centers.
The RSF’s focus on capturing el-Fasher is not just military—it’s symbolic. Taking the city would mark the complete collapse of government presence in Darfur, consolidating RSF power in the west while weakening the SAF’s grasp on the broader region.
What’s at Stake
With millions displaced, humanitarian access blocked, and ethnic divisions inflamed, Sudan risks entering a protracted regional conflict akin to those seen in Syria or Yemen.
International observers warn that the fall of el-Fasher would likely trigger mass displacement, genocide warnings, and an even greater humanitarian disaster, not only in Darfur but across neighboring regions like Chad and South Sudan, which are already hosting tens of thousands of Sudanese refugees.
“What we’re witnessing is not just a civil war—it’s the systematic destruction of a society already on its knees,” said one U.N. official.
What Happens Next?
- Humanitarian groups are urging international pressure to open aid corridors to Zamzam and Abu Shouk camps.
- The UN Security Council may meet again to address violations by the RSF.
- Civil society organizations in Sudan are calling for war crimes investigations.
- The SAF may be forced to retreat or regroup, risking the loss of all Darfur.
- Analysts warn that regional actors like Egypt, the UAE, and Russia could escalate involvement.
Unless a ceasefire is brokered or international intervention is mobilized, el-Fasher could become the next epicenter of mass civilian casualties, deepening Sudan’s nightmare and casting a long shadow across the Horn of Africa.
RSF Offensive
You must Register or Login to post a comment.