A large-scale assault by the UAE-backed Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has left the city of El Fasher in ruins, with hundreds of civilians executed on the spot and thousands fleeing in panic. Eyewitnesses describe scenes of mass killings, looting, and entire neighborhoods burned to the ground as RSF fighters swept through the capital of North Darfur the last major city that remained under Sudanese army control.
Since April 2023, Sudan has been locked in a brutal war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF, commanded by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemeti. The RSF, born from the infamous Janjaweed militias of the early Darfur war, has long been accused of atrocities and ethnic cleansing. What distinguishes this phase of the conflict is the UAE’s decisive role in backing the RSF.
After more than a year-long siege, the RSF launched a final assault on El Fasher, capturing the army’s 6th Division base and key government buildings over the weekend. The Sudanese army withdrew, citing “indiscriminate massacres” and “systematic destruction” by RSF forces. Satellite images show bodies lining the streets, homes set ablaze, and hospitals deliberately targeted.
The fall of El Fasher marks a strategic turning point in Sudan’s war. With all five Darfur capitals now under its control, the RSF dominates western Sudan and its resource-rich gold mines. Analysts warn that the militia, empowered by foreign funding and impunity, may push further east, deepening Sudan’s fragmentation and threatening neighboring states.
Humanitarian groups describe the situation as a human rights catastrophe. The UN human rights office (OHCHR) reports credible evidence of ethnically motivated executions and mass killings, especially targeting non-Arab groups. Hospitals and aid convoys have come under fire, with the local health ministry calling the RSF’s actions “a campaign of extermination.”
As of now, El Fasher lies under RSF control, its civilians enduring terror, famine, and isolation. International actors including the UN, African Union, and Western powers have issued muted statements but avoided naming Abu Dhabi directly. Without accountability or pressure to halt the UAE’s support network, Sudan risks sliding into full-scale partition.
