Could this be the final blow to Sudan’s army in the Darfur region? Notorious paramilitaries of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have reportedly seized the 6th Division headquarters in the heart of el-Fasher, the provincial capital of North Darfur and the Sudanese military’s last major stronghold in the region. The takeover marks a major setback for the army, which has been battling to maintain control amid one of Africa’s deadliest ongoing conflicts. Fierce fighting continued on Monday as RSF fighters clashed with government troops near the airfield and western districts of the city.
According to Jocomms Reporter, the Resistance Committees in el-Fasher, a local civil society group monitoring the war, confirmed that dozens of civilians were killed and critical health facilities destroyed during intense RSF bombardments over the weekend. The group accused the Sudanese military of failing to provide adequate air support to its ground troops, leaving large areas of the city vulnerable to RSF advances. Military sources later acknowledged that soldiers had vacated the base on Sunday, retreating under heavy shelling and artillery fire to regroup at another defense line on the city’s outskirts.
The loss of el-Fasher’s main military base further isolates Sudan’s army in Darfur and heightens fears for the hundreds of thousands of civilians trapped in the besieged city, where food, medicine, and safe passage have long run out. With the RSF tightening its grip and the humanitarian crisis worsening by the hour, the question remains — can Sudan’s military hold what’s left of North Darfur, or is the fall of el-Fasher now inevitable? Visit www.jocomms.com for more news.
