Sudan’s El Fasher faces imminent assault as RSF militias leave trail of death Over a million appeal for urgent protection

More than one million residents of El Fasher, the capital of Sudan’s North Darfur state, are pleading for protection as the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) push toward the city, leaving a trail of devastation and hundreds dead.

Sources in El Fasher and surrounding areas told Middle East Eye that RSF units are preparing for a full-scale assault on the city — the last major stronghold in western Sudan still controlled by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and allied factions.

Sudanese Foreign Minister Ali Youssef al-Sharif said the RSF’s move is calculated to coincide with an international donor conference on Sudan, scheduled to take place in London on April 15. According to al-Sharif, the RSF intends to capitalize on the capture of El Fasher by using it as a base to form a parallel government.

Over the weekend, RSF fighters raided displacement camps on the outskirts of El Fasher, where survivors of the 2003–2005 Darfur genocide had been living. Eyewitnesses described scenes of extreme violence, reporting that hundreds were killed, including humanitarian aid workers and medical staff, while large sections of the camps were set ablaze.

According to activists and local officials, more than 800 people have been killed across various areas of North Darfur. Access to humanitarian assistance has been entirely blocked by RSF forces.

As-Sadiq al-Nour, a spokesperson for the Sudan Liberation Movement faction aligned with the SAF and led by Darfur’s regional governor Minni Minawi, said that RSF fighters had killed at least 450 residents of Zamzam camp.

The RSF has roots in the Janjaweed militias — Arab paramilitaries responsible for the mass killings of hundreds of thousands of Black African civilians in Darfur and the displacement of up to three million people during the early 2000s. Al-Nour, whose self-defense forces had fought the Janjaweed during that period, accused the RSF of attempting once again to displace the region’s native population and force through sweeping demographic changes in Darfur.

Relief International confirmed that nine of its staff — the full team of its final operating medical clinic in Zamzam — were killed in the RSF attack. Satellite imagery corroborates reports of widespread destruction in the camp and shows large fires still burning.

The satellite image shows smoke and fire in the Zamzam camp

The World Food Programme (WFP) warned that eight districts in North Darfur, including Zamzam, are now facing famine. According to WFP data, approximately 638,000 people across Sudan are enduring catastrophic levels of hunger. The organization cited a lack of humanitarian access and funding as major obstacles to addressing the worsening crisis.

The RSF has maintained a siege on El Fasher and nearby areas for more than a year. Due to the blockade, the army has had to rely on airdrops to deliver food and supplies. However, recent weeks have seen a sharp decline in successful air deliveries.

A Sudanese army source confirmed that the SAF is taking the threat to El Fasher very seriously and has no intention of surrendering the city to RSF forces. The source added that in recent days, RSF fighters had shot down Sudanese military aircraft near El Fasher, further complicating resupply efforts for the besieged city. Nevertheless, the official expressed confidence that the situation would soon be brought under control.

By Tamilla Hasanova