The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have claimed control of the key city of El-Fasher in western Sudan, marking a significant turning point in the country's civil war. The paramilitary group said it had seized the city from "the grip of mercenaries and militias allied with the terrorist army" in a statement on social media.
The capture would be a huge blow to the Sudanese army, as El-Fasher is its last remaining foothold in the Darfur region. The RSF now appears effectively in control of the area, leaving the army's positions and civilians under frequent bombardment.
The city has been surrounded by the RSF for the past 18 months, with an estimated 300,000 people trapped by the fighting. The United Nations Relief Chief, Tom Fletcher, described the situation as "deeply alarming" and called for an immediate ceasefire across Darfur and the rest of Sudan.
The RSF's advance on El-Fasher has been steady, with the group having previously said it hopes to form a rival government in the city when it assumes complete control. The capture would also be a significant blow to humanitarian efforts in the region, as the UN has struggled to deliver aid into the besieged city due to intensified attacks.
The conflict in Sudan began in 2023, following a power struggle between top commanders of the RSF and the Sudanese army. Since then, over 150,000 people have died, and about 12 million have been displaced, creating one of the worst humanitarian crises in Africa.
Satellite imagery has shown extensive earthen walls being constructed around El-Fasher to trap people inside, while videos circulating on social media show RSF fighters inside the army base. Local pro-army fighters have accused the RSF of running a "media disinformation campaign" to undermine the morale of government forces.
The US has also criticized the RSF, saying that it has committed genocide against Darfur's non-Arab population. The RSF has denied these allegations and says it is fighting against terrorism and government corruption.
As the situation in El-Fasher continues to deteriorate, the international community remains concerned about the humanitarian implications of the conflict. The BBC will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.
The capture would be a huge blow to the Sudanese army, as El-Fasher is its last remaining foothold in the Darfur region. The RSF now appears effectively in control of the area, leaving the army's positions and civilians under frequent bombardment.
The city has been surrounded by the RSF for the past 18 months, with an estimated 300,000 people trapped by the fighting. The United Nations Relief Chief, Tom Fletcher, described the situation as "deeply alarming" and called for an immediate ceasefire across Darfur and the rest of Sudan.
The RSF's advance on El-Fasher has been steady, with the group having previously said it hopes to form a rival government in the city when it assumes complete control. The capture would also be a significant blow to humanitarian efforts in the region, as the UN has struggled to deliver aid into the besieged city due to intensified attacks.
The conflict in Sudan began in 2023, following a power struggle between top commanders of the RSF and the Sudanese army. Since then, over 150,000 people have died, and about 12 million have been displaced, creating one of the worst humanitarian crises in Africa.
Satellite imagery has shown extensive earthen walls being constructed around El-Fasher to trap people inside, while videos circulating on social media show RSF fighters inside the army base. Local pro-army fighters have accused the RSF of running a "media disinformation campaign" to undermine the morale of government forces.
The US has also criticized the RSF, saying that it has committed genocide against Darfur's non-Arab population. The RSF has denied these allegations and says it is fighting against terrorism and government corruption.
As the situation in El-Fasher continues to deteriorate, the international community remains concerned about the humanitarian implications of the conflict. The BBC will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.
Those 300k people trapped in El-Fasher are counting on us to step up and get aid into there ASAP. And can we talk about how messed up the situation is that satellite imagery shows earthen walls being constructed to trap people? Like, what's next? 
, 300k people trapped in El-Fasher for 18 months already? That's insane! And now the RSF thinks they can just waltz in and take control without even talking to anyone? Please, like that's gonna happen. The UN says it's "deeply alarming" but I'm like, what's new? 
We've known this was a mess for years.
. The RSF might think they're fighting against terrorism, but I'm not convinced that's just a cover for their own agenda.
. And what about those 300,000 people trapped inside? That's just heartbreaking 
.
And what about all those people displaced - that's just crazy sad 
.
... and we need to be careful not to judge the RSF too harshly or the Sudanese army too quickly 
... because, honestly, it feels like both sides have their own agendas here 
.
150k people have died and 12m displaced since 2023 its like the whole region is being torn apart 
will we ever see peace in sudan again 
. The situation is super worrying! 300k people trapped, and it's been like this for 18 months already... I feel so bad for them 
. We can't just sit back and watch as people suffer. The US saying RSF committed genocide is big news too 
. It's always hard to know what's really going on in these conflicts, but it seems clear that a lot of people are getting hurt.
. It's like, how can we keep track of all this? And what's being done to stop it? I wish there were more diagrams that could show us exactly what's happening on the ground 
.
.