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The Fall of El Fasher

The Cleaving of Sudan and the End of a Siege

Sunday, 26 October 2025 17:49

Abstract

The capture of the Sudanese Armed Forces' last major base in Darfur by the Rapid Support Forces marks a critical turning point in Sudan's civil war. This military victory consolidates the paramilitary group's control over the entire western region, effectively reinforcing a de facto partition of the nation. The event raises profound fears for the hundreds of thousands of civilians trapped in the city, who now face the prospect of mass atrocities and a deepening humanitarian catastrophe.

The Collapse of the Sixth Division

On Sunday, 26 October 2025, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) announced they had seized the headquarters of the Sudanese Armed Forces’ (SAF) 6th Infantry Division in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state3,4,5. This claim, if fully confirmed, represents a major strategic victory for the RSF and a devastating defeat for the SAF, which had held the base as its final military foothold in the vast Darfur region5,6,8. The RSF described the advance as a “historic victory” and a significant turning point in the protracted conflict that began in April 20234,5,6,8,10. Videos circulated by the RSF on social media platforms appeared to show their fighters celebrating inside the compound of the 6th Infantry Division headquarters5,6,8. Field reports suggested that SAF troops and their allied forces had been compelled to withdraw from the headquarters on Saturday evening, retreating towards the western neighbourhoods of the city following intense RSF shelling4,6. The Sudanese Armed Forces have not yet issued an official comment or confirmation regarding the loss of the base3,4,6,8. However, the Popular Resistance in North Darfur, a pro-army militia, immediately rejected the RSF’s narrative, calling it a “deceptive media campaign” and insisting that resistance was continuing in the city’s western districts4,5,6,16. The capture culminates a brutal, protracted siege of El Fasher that had lasted for over a year, with the RSF having encircled the city since at least May 20244,17,18. The defending garrison had been cut off from ground supply routes for nearly three years, relying on high-risk aerial resupply missions to sustain its operations6.

A Strategic Prize and a Cleaving Nation

The strategic importance of El Fasher cannot be overstated, as its fall consolidates the RSF’s control over all five state capitals within the Darfur region6,8. Darfur, a region rich in resources such as gold, silver, iron, and livestock, is also a critical gateway to Libya and Chad, which are key supply routes for the RSF7. The RSF commander, Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo, already controls one of the largest gold mines in Darfur, making the region central to the paramilitary group’s financial and logistical power7. The loss of the SAF’s last major base in the west reinforces a de facto territorial split in Sudan3,8,16. The RSF now dominates the vast Darfur and Kordofan regions, while the SAF, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, retains control over most of the south-eastern parts of the country and the Nile River corridor3,8. This geographical division has been formalised by political developments, as the RSF-led coalition announced a parallel “New Sudan” government and a 15-member presidential council, with Hemedti as its head, in July 202513,16. The SAF-backed government has denounced this parallel authority, vowing to continue military operations13,16. The capture of El Fasher provides the RSF with the final piece of the Darfur puzzle, allowing them to solidify their administrative and military control over the entire western half of Sudan16. This consolidation is viewed by analysts as a significant step towards the permanent fragmentation of the country8,16.

The Shadow of Ethnic Cleansing

The military victory for the RSF has immediately amplified fears of a humanitarian catastrophe and mass atrocities against the civilian population4,5,11,16. El Fasher had served as a relative haven for hundreds of thousands of people who had fled violence in other parts of Darfur and Khartoum since the war began11,12. Estimates suggest that between 250,000 and 300,000 people were trapped inside the city under siege, with many more having sought refuge there previously3,12,16,19. The siege itself has been brutal, with the RSF accused of using drone and artillery attacks to target hospitals, markets, and displacement camps, leading to a large number of civilian deaths4,16,17,19. The blockade imposed by the RSF has also led to severe starvation, with food prices soaring and aid convoys unable to enter the city for months12,18,19. The Darfur region was officially confirmed to be facing famine in August 2024, with millions more across Sudan facing acute food insecurity14. Human rights groups and UN officials have warned that the fall of El Fasher could trigger a wave of ethnically motivated violence11,18. The RSF, whose troops are primarily drawn from Darfuri Arab communities, has a history of targeting non-Arab groups, such as the Masalit in West Darfur, in attacks that may have amounted to genocide11. The Zaghawa community, a major non-Arab population group in El Fasher, is considered to be especially at risk of deadly reprisals, as they are perceived to be aligned with the army and allied armed groups11,18. A UN-mandated mission previously stated that the RSF had committed multiple crimes against humanity during the siege of El Fasher16. The ongoing conflict has already created the world’s largest displacement crisis, with nearly 13 million people forced to flee their homes since April 20238,14,15.

The Broader War for Sudan’s Future

The battle for El Fasher represents a significant shift in the momentum of the wider Sudanese civil war3,6. The conflict, which erupted from a power struggle between SAF Commander General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF Commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, has seen a complex ebb and flow of territorial control10,15,16. In the early months of the war, the RSF seized control of much of the capital, Khartoum, and expanded rapidly across Darfur10. However, by early 2024, the SAF launched a sustained offensive, reclaiming significant areas of Greater Khartoum, including the airport and presidential palace, by March 20259,10,13,15. The RSF’s victory in El Fasher, following the loss of the strategic town of Bara in North Kordofan a day earlier, marks a crucial counter-move that reasserts their dominance in the west6. The RSF’s stated goal is to build a “new state” based on freedom, peace, and justice, a narrative that accompanies their establishment of a parallel administration4,13. Meanwhile, international efforts to mediate a peace have repeatedly failed10,13. The United States, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates (the Quad) recently agreed to form a Joint Operational Committee to coordinate peace efforts, but the SAF-backed government has previously pushed back against proposed peace plans8,16,19. The fall of El Fasher now presents the international community with a stark reality: the war is no longer a contest for a unified Sudan but a struggle to define the borders and legitimacy of two emerging, hostile entities8,16.

Conclusion

The capture of El Fasher’s military headquarters by the Rapid Support Forces is more than a single battle’s outcome; it is a moment of profound geopolitical consequence for Sudan. It completes the RSF’s territorial consolidation of Darfur, transforming the region from a contested zone into the undisputed heartland of a potential new state6,8,16. This military reality on the ground makes the prospect of a unified Sudan under a single government increasingly remote, cementing the nation’s de facto partition8,16. Crucially, the immediate aftermath of the city’s fall will be judged by the world on humanitarian grounds, as the fate of hundreds of thousands of trapped civilians hangs in the balance, facing the documented risk of ethnically targeted violence and deepening famine11,14,18. The international community’s response to this new reality—whether through intensified pressure for aid access and civilian protection or through engagement with the emerging political structures—will determine the scale of the tragedy and the long-term political map of the Horn of Africa16,20.

References

  1. Rebel group claims capture of key city in Sudan

    One of the starting URLs, used to verify the core event and its significance.

  2. Sudanese Paramilitaries Claim Control of Key Army Garrison in Darfur

    One of the starting URLs, used to verify the core event and its significance.

  3. Sudan civil war: RSF claims capture of army headquarters in El Fasher | Africanews

    Used for the date of the RSF claim (Oct 26, 2025), the start date of the war (April 2023), the siege duration (18 months), the number of trapped people (300,000), and the implication of a de facto split.

  4. Sudan's RSF says it seized key army base in El Fasher

    Used for the specific target (6th Infantry Division command), the siege start (April 2024), RSF's 'new state' rhetoric, accusations of RSF violations, and the Popular Resistance's denial/counter-claim.

  5. Sudan's paramilitary RSF says seized army headquarters in El Fasher - Xinhua

    Used to confirm the RSF's 'historic victory' statement, the 6th Division target, the status of El Fasher as the last SAF stronghold in Darfur, and the Popular Resistance's denial.

  6. Sudan army suffers major defeat as El-Fasher division headquarters falls

    Used to confirm the consolidation of all five Darfur state capitals, the strategic turning point, the SAF retreat, the long siege/resupply issues, and the RSF's 'historic victory' claim.

  7. The battle for El Fasher: Why is it so crucial? BBC Africa - YouTube

    Used for the strategic importance of El Fasher as a gateway to Libya/Chad (arms supply) and its resource wealth (gold, silver, iron), and Hemedti's control of a gold mine.

  8. Sudanese paramilitaries claim to have taken control of Darfur's El-Fasher

    Used to confirm the RSF's claim of full control, the siege duration (10 months), the consolidation of all five Darfur state capitals, the implication of a physical split, and the Quad's peace efforts.

  9. Battle of Khartoum (2023–2025) - Wikipedia

    Used for the start date of the Battle of Khartoum (April 15, 2023) and the SAF's claim of victory/expulsion of RSF from most of Khartoum by March 2025.

  10. Timeline: Key events of Sudan civil war - Xinhua

    Used to confirm the war's start date (April 15, 2023), the initial RSF control of Khartoum, and the SAF's later reclaiming of key cities.

  11. How El Fasher went from Darfur's safe haven to all-out war - The New Humanitarian

    Used for El Fasher as a haven, the fear of ethnic reprisals, the specific risk to the non-Arab Zaghawa community, and the RSF's previous actions against the Masalit in West Darfur.

  12. Siege of El Fasher - Wikipedia

    Used for the number of residents (300,000), the siege leading to starvation, food prices being five times higher, and the UN warning of potential genocide.

  13. Sudan Conflict Timeline - Fanack

    Used for the SAF's offensive in late 2024/Jan 2025, the RSF's formation of a parallel 'New Sudan' government/coalition in Feb/Jul 2025, and the SAF's denouncement.

  14. Sudan Crisis Explained - USA for UNHCR

    Used for the total number of displaced people (nearly 13 million), the confirmation of famine in Darfur (August 2024), and the number of people needing humanitarian assistance (25 million).

  15. Animated maps show two years of war in Sudan - Al Jazeera

    Used to confirm the war's start date (April 15, 2023), the total number of displaced people (more than 14 million), and the SAF's recent gains in Khartoum.

  16. Sudan's RSF says it captured Al-Fashir army headquarters | Arab News PK

    Used to confirm the RSF's parallel government, the de facto split, the UN mission's finding of RSF crimes against humanity, the Popular Resistance's denial, and the Quad's peace talks.

  17. Fierce clashes continue between army, paramilitary RSF in Sudan's El-Fasher

    Used to confirm the RSF besieging El Fasher since May 10, 2024, and the network describing attacks on hospitals as a war crime.

  18. 'We will never, ever escape': inside the ever-tightening siege of the Sudanese city of El Fasher - The Guardian

    Used for the siege duration (over 500 days), the number of trapped people (260,000), the UN warning of famine (May 2024), and the intelligence assessments of RSF intent for ethnic cleansing.

  19. What's at stake if the Sudanese city of El-Fasher falls to the RSF? | DW News - YouTube

    Used to confirm the number of trapped people (300,000), the RSF's notoriety for atrocities, the lack of aid access, and the SAF-backed government's pushback against the peace plan.

  20. Halting the Catastrophic Battle for Sudan's El Fasher - International Crisis Group

    Used to confirm the multi-sided nature of the battle and the need for international pressure for de-escalation and aid access.