Heavy fighting erupted in El-Fasher, a major city in Darfur, on Saturday as the Sudanese army engaged with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which had advanced into the city the previous day. Residents described being jolted awake by persistent machine-gun fire echoing throughout the streets of a city that has faced continuous attacks since May of the previous year.
Military sources reported that regular army troops had successfully reclaimed several strategic locations in the southern and western areas of El-Fasher that the RSF had captured on Friday. Among the recovered sites were Shala prison and the headquarters of the Central Reserve Police, a unit trained for military engagements. Reports also indicated that the army inflicted significant losses on the RSF during the clashes.
However, a source from the RSF claimed that they still maintained full control over those sites, in addition to the city’s livestock market. On Friday, the RSF circulated videos that they claimed showcased their fighters in control of these locations, but independent verification of the footage was not possible.
El-Fasher has become a focal point in the ongoing conflict, being the last major city in Darfur still in the hands of the army. The RSF has intensified their assaults on the city this year following their loss of control over the capital, Khartoum. Local resident Salah Issa reported that clashes began around 3 AM local time, stating that the RSF had initiated their attack from the south and west and was advancing toward the airport by the afternoon.
Witness Mohieddine Abdel Rahman added that the fighting involved intense close-quarter combat with heavy use of machine guns. Activist reports indicated that the renewed RSF assault had commenced earlier in the week, beginning with heavy shelling that further endangered the civilian population. A doctor from El-Fasher Teaching Hospital reported that a drone strike attributed to the RSF killed eight civilians when it struck a makeshift bomb shelter on Thursday.
The unfolding situation has made it increasingly difficult to obtain accurate casualty figures amid a pervasive communications blackout, leaving residents without reliable means of information aside from those using satellite internet. Most health facilities have been forced to close amidst ongoing hostilities.
The United Nations has issued multiple warnings regarding the dire conditions for civilians stranded in the city, many of whom are now seeking refuge in makeshift bunkers constructed in backyards and at the fronts of houses. The humanitarian crisis in Sudan has escalated dramatically, with estimates indicating that tens of thousands have lost their lives since the war began in April 2023, and over 14 million individuals have been displaced from their homes.
