Sudan Army Retreats from El-Fasher as RSF Commits Atrocities in City

Sudan’s war reached a pivotal moment around El-Fasher, where multiple sources report an army withdrawal and significant RSF gains amid a prolonged siege.

“The article details the severe humanitarian crisis in North Darfur, Sudan, amid the RSF’s takeover of el-Fasher”

Al Jazeera

DIE WELT reports that the army withdrew from El-Fasher, the last major city in Darfur, allowing the RSF to seize control of nearly all of western Sudan.

Al Jazeera

Army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan confirmed the retreat and the city's fall.

Malaysia Sun states that dozens of civilians were killed after the Rapid Support Forces took control of the city, adding that the army withdrew following a siege.

By contrast, Agenzia Nova says heavy fighting continues, noting the RSF claims to have captured the city while the Sudanese Armed Forces still control key strategic sites like the airport and military brigades and deny losing full control.

The Guardian similarly reports the RSF claim to have captured the main army base but says fighting continues as pro-army militias contest control.

Editorji specifies that the RSF captured the strategic 6th Division base, marking the fall of the Sudanese military’s last stronghold in the region.

Multiple sources detail atrocities attributed to the RSF in El-Fasher, with explicit allegations of ethnically motivated violence and war crimes.

UN News says the UN has condemned serious atrocities committed by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia in El Fasher, including summary executions and ethnically motivated killings.

RND.de

Al Jazeera reports the RSF is accused of carrying out summary executions, looting hospitals, destroying healthcare infrastructure, and detaining over 1,000 civilians.

Rights groups call the attacks systematic war crimes and urge the RSF be designated a terrorist organization.

Agenzia Nova cites human rights groups and local organizations describing ethnically motivated massacres and ethnic cleansing.

Malaysia Sun reports the Sudan Doctors Network accused the RSF of ethnically targeted killings, massacres, and looting medical facilities.

The Guardian notes accusations that RSF fighters mistreated detainees and killed fleeing civilians.

Editorji adds that the RSF is accused of committing war crimes, including targeting civilians and journalists.

The humanitarian collapse around El-Fasher and across Sudan is described as the world’s worst crisis, with spiraling displacement, famine risk, and shattered health services.

“The article underscores the vital role of certain individuals as the backbone of humanitarian efforts in conflict zones, noting their protection under international humanitarian law”

UN News

RND.de calls it the world's largest humanitarian crisis, citing over 12 million people displaced and approximately 26 million facing hunger, with death toll estimates up to 150,000.

UN News reports over 12 million displaced or stateless and more than 24 million facing hunger, while warning that aid is critically underfunded, receiving only 27%.

The Guardian says the war has displaced over 13 million people and left half the population needing food aid.

Al Jazeera also calls it the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with hundreds of thousands trapped, facing starvation, displacement, and lack of medical care.

BLiTZ paints a grim picture of civilians eating leaves and drinking contaminated water as hospitals are bombarded and the last functioning facility and a mosque are struck.

Assessments of control and the war’s trajectory converge on RSF dominance in Darfur but differ on the exact status inside El-Fasher and the broader map.

RND.de says the RSF has seized control of nearly all of the Darfur region, including El Fasher.

DIE WELT

The Guardian reports Hemedti now controls all five Darfur states, raising fears of Sudan’s potential partition, even as it notes the army retook Khartoum in March 2025.

DIE WELT likewise says the RSF takeover has raised fears of Sudan’s fragmentation, and that thousands of soldiers and allied rebels are surrounded near the city.

Agenzia Nova, however, specifies that the SAF still controls key strategic sites like the airport and military brigades, though the RSF has seized the 6th Infantry Division headquarters.

SSBCrack diverges further, claiming the army controls El-Fasher, even as it acknowledges RSF gains toward the army hub.

International responses coalesce around ceasefire demands, protection of civilians, and accountability for atrocities.

“The UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan has urged the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to allow UN access to El Fasher, North Darfur’s capital, and to provide safe corridors for civilians amid heavy fighting”

Al-Jazeera Net

UN News reports that officials have called for a ceasefire and condemned external interference, warning that the aid appeal is only 27% funded amid the killings of nearly 130 aid workers.

Al-Jazeera Net

allAfrica notes that the UN urges an immediate ceasefire and improved humanitarian access amid outbreaks of cholera and malnutrition.

The New Indian Express reports that the International Criminal Court has initiated an investigation into alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Editorji echoes that the ICC is investigating potential war crimes.

RND.de highlights that international actors, including Germany and various medical organizations, have condemned the Rapid Support Forces' actions.

Agenzia Nova adds that the Darfur governor has requested an independent investigation.

Malaysia Sun relays calls for international intervention to create safe corridors for civilians fleeing El-Fasher.