The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group, launched a major assault on El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, claiming full control of the Sudanese army’s 6th Infantry Division headquarters in one of the fiercest escalations since the conflict began 18 months ago.
RSF spokesperson Al-Fateh Qureshi said in a statement on Sunday that the group had “fully taken control of the strategic 6th Infantry Division,” describing the offensive as “a turning point in the course of the battles” and a step toward “building a new state shared by all Sudanese.”
He added that the RSF, in coordination with its self-declared “Founding Government,” would seek to “ensure full protection for civilians, facilitate the return of displaced people, and provide their basic needs.” RSF adviser Al-Basha Tabeek said that Abdel Rahim Dagalo — brother of RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo — led the assault.
In a subsequent statement, the RSF claimed full control over El Fasher “after intense fighting and special operations that exhausted the enemy,” referring to the Sudanese army and allied militias. The army has not commented on the claims, though local sources reported that government forces had repositioned inside the city amid ongoing heavy clashes.
El Fasher, a historic and administrative centre in Darfur, is a vital hub for humanitarian convoys serving the region’s five states. Its strategic significance stems from its position bordering seven Sudanese states as well as Chad and Libya, and from its role as an economic and agricultural centre for North Darfur.
Analysts say the RSF’s reported seizure of El Fasher represents a significant political and military gain after the loss of Khartoum and several other cities. The capture would give the group full control of Darfur’s five states, heightening fears of Sudan’s de facto partition and reinforcing the RSF’s parallel administration announced earlier this year with Darfur as its base of operations.
The advance comes amid growing accusations of widespread abuses against civilians. The United Nations reports that more than one million people have fled El Fasher since the RSF siege began in May 2024, with an estimated 250,000 civilians still trapped inside the city.
Those who escaped have reported looting, sexual violence, and killings by RSF fighters along evacuation routes. The group denies targeting civilians, asserting that the army and allied forces are “using hospitals and mosques as military bases and rocket launch sites,” according to a statement issued on 12 October.
The RSF and its allied militias have faced international accusations of ethnically motivated violence in Darfur. The United States concluded last year that the group committed acts of genocide — a charge the RSF denies, saying that rogue fighters who disobeyed orders will be held accountable.
As fighting continues in and around El Fasher, humanitarian agencies warn of a looming catastrophe, with aid routes cut off and tens of thousands of displaced civilians stranded, raising fears of a total collapse of living conditions in North Darfur.
