RSF Seizes Sudan Army’s Last Base in Darfur, Raising Alarms Over Civilian Safety

Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have captured the main army base in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, marking a major shift in the country’s prolonged civil conflict. The city had been the Sudanese Armed Forces’ (SAF) final stronghold in the war-torn Darfur region.

According to reports from multiple agencies, RSF fighters stormed the army headquarters after weeks of intense clashes. Videos circulating online showed RSF soldiers celebrating inside the captured base, though their authenticity could not be independently verified. The Sudanese army has reportedly withdrawn from several positions, citing growing threats to civilians trapped in the city.

El Fasher’s fall represents a decisive moment in the 18-month-long war between the SAF, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and RSF chief Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti. The city has been under siege for months, with humanitarian groups warning of catastrophic consequences for hundreds of thousands of residents who remain cut off from aid, food and medicine.

The United Nations and international observers have expressed grave concern, warning that RSF’s control over El Fasher could lead to a new wave of ethnic violence and worsen the humanitarian crisis. “Civilians are running out of options,” a UN official said, urging both sides to allow immediate access for relief operations.

Analysts say the capture could cement RSF dominance across western Sudan and potentially divide the country into rival zones of control — the RSF holding Darfur and much of the west, and the SAF retaining the east and north.

As international pressure mounts for a cease-fire, fears are growing that El Fasher’s fall may signal a deepening of Sudan’s already devastating war, which has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions since April 2023.