Sudan's Darfur Region Plunges into Chaos as Paramilitaries Seize Key City of El-Fasher
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has taken control of the historic city of el-Fasher in Sudan's Darfur region, sparking fears of mass atrocities and violence reminiscent of the dark days of the 2000s. The capture of this strategic location has sent shockwaves throughout the country, with reports of widespread killings and abuses against civilians emerging.
The RSF, a paramilitary group descended from the notorious Janjaweed militias accused of genocide in the region two decades ago, launched a final assault on el-Fasher last week, seizing the army's last positions. The city, once the heart of Darfur, is now under the control of the RSF, who have constructed a 56km-long earthen berm to seal off food, medicine, and escape routes, leaving approximately 177,000 civilians trapped.
The situation on the ground has turned dire, with videos emerging of RSF fighters carrying out executions and abusing civilians. Pro-democracy groups have described the violence as "the worst" since Sunday, accusing the RSF of ethnic cleansing. The African Union has condemned the "escalating violence" and alleged war crimes, while the United Nations has warned of "ethnically motivated violations and atrocities".
The war in Sudan has already claimed tens of thousands of lives, displaced millions, and triggered the world's largest displacement and hunger crisis. Both sides are accused of widespread atrocities, with the Joint Forces accusing the RSF of killing at least 2,000 civilians.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent has reported that five Sudanese Red Crescent volunteers were killed in the neighbouring region of North Kordofan, while three others remain missing after the RSF took control of their town. The situation is rapidly deteriorating, with many fearing that mass atrocities could become a reality.
Analysts say Sudan is now effectively partitioned along an east-west axis, with the RSF running a parallel government across Darfur, while the army is entrenched in the north, east, and centre. The RSF-led coalition has announced plans to form a committee to verify the authenticity of videos and allegations, claiming that many are "fabricated" by the army.
As tensions continue to escalate, it remains to be seen how the international community will respond to this latest development. With reports of widespread violence and abuses emerging from Sudan, it is clear that the country's fragile peace process is on the brink of collapse.
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has taken control of the historic city of el-Fasher in Sudan's Darfur region, sparking fears of mass atrocities and violence reminiscent of the dark days of the 2000s. The capture of this strategic location has sent shockwaves throughout the country, with reports of widespread killings and abuses against civilians emerging.
The RSF, a paramilitary group descended from the notorious Janjaweed militias accused of genocide in the region two decades ago, launched a final assault on el-Fasher last week, seizing the army's last positions. The city, once the heart of Darfur, is now under the control of the RSF, who have constructed a 56km-long earthen berm to seal off food, medicine, and escape routes, leaving approximately 177,000 civilians trapped.
The situation on the ground has turned dire, with videos emerging of RSF fighters carrying out executions and abusing civilians. Pro-democracy groups have described the violence as "the worst" since Sunday, accusing the RSF of ethnic cleansing. The African Union has condemned the "escalating violence" and alleged war crimes, while the United Nations has warned of "ethnically motivated violations and atrocities".
The war in Sudan has already claimed tens of thousands of lives, displaced millions, and triggered the world's largest displacement and hunger crisis. Both sides are accused of widespread atrocities, with the Joint Forces accusing the RSF of killing at least 2,000 civilians.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent has reported that five Sudanese Red Crescent volunteers were killed in the neighbouring region of North Kordofan, while three others remain missing after the RSF took control of their town. The situation is rapidly deteriorating, with many fearing that mass atrocities could become a reality.
Analysts say Sudan is now effectively partitioned along an east-west axis, with the RSF running a parallel government across Darfur, while the army is entrenched in the north, east, and centre. The RSF-led coalition has announced plans to form a committee to verify the authenticity of videos and allegations, claiming that many are "fabricated" by the army.
As tensions continue to escalate, it remains to be seen how the international community will respond to this latest development. With reports of widespread violence and abuses emerging from Sudan, it is clear that the country's fragile peace process is on the brink of collapse.
. I mean, RSF taking over el-Fasher and sealing off food & medicine routes for civilians is just horrific 
. How many people are gonna die from starvation or whatever now? It's like they're playing a deadly game of risk on human lives 
.
. They gotta do better than just talk about atrocities and threats, you know? This is real life for these people, they can't afford to wait for the international community to act 
.
. Can we not learn from our history already? How many times gotta we see this same cycle of violence and displacement before we change our ways? 
, and now they're sealing off food and medicine routes to trap civilians 
, that's just sick 
. how can anyone justify this kind of ethnic cleansing? 
, and what's with the African Union and UN condemning the violence but doing nothing about it 
.
. 177,000 civilians trapped and cut off from basic necessities like food and medicine? That's a nightmare scenario right there.
And can we pls condemn the RSF's actions without mincing words? 
. it's crazy that the world isn't doing more to stop this violence and bring peace back to sudan.
the rapid support forces just took control of el-fasher in darfur which was like the heart of the region already... now they've built a wall to trap civilians and it's like something out of a horror movie 
there are reports of mass killings and abuses against civilians and pro-democracy groups saying it's worse than sunday 
the african union and un are trying to call it out but i'm not sure if they can stop this chaos from spreading 
RSF taking control of el-Fasher is like a recipe for disaster 
or else we'll just be watching from afar as another generation of sudanese ppl suffer.
This is insane ! RSF taking over El Fasher is like a nightmare come true ! We gotta do something about this ASAP or else those 177k civilians are gonna be stuck 
. It's not just about Sudan, it's about what happens next in Africa and globally 
. We gotta stand up against atrocities & support those affected 
#SudanInCrisis #DarfurDeservesJustice #HumanitarianEmergency
. It's crazy that paramilitaries are taking control of cities and sealing off food and medicine routes, trapping innocent civilians under this earthen berm 
. The videos showing executions and abuses are just heartbreaking and it's clear that ethnic cleansing is going on.
. I'm worried about the international community's response, it feels like they're just saying things but not doing much 
.