The Rapid Support Forces claimed full control of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, in late October 2025. Since then, international experts and human rights bodies have increasingly described the situation as a genocidal massacre.
On October 26, 2025, the RSF released footage showing its fighters celebrating at the gates of the Sixth Infantry Division headquarters, previously the SAF’s last defensive line in the city. Sudan’s army chief later confirmed the withdrawal of troops from El Fasher, effectively conceding control of the city to the paramilitary group.
With El Fasher’s fall, the RSF now controls all five state capitals in Darfur. Analysts suggest this could lead to a de facto split of Sudan, with the RSF governing the west and the SAF controlling the east and north.
Genocidal Massacre
The city’s fall has triggered international alarm due to reports of widespread violence. Medical groups and researchers reported that at least 1,500 people were killed in the three days surrounding the city’s capture.
Satellite imagery and eyewitness accounts indicate house-to-house clearance operations and systematic targeting of non-Arab ethnic groups including the Fur, Zaghawa, and Berti. Tens of thousands of civilians have fled on foot toward Tawila, which is already overwhelmed by hundreds of thousands of displaced persons.
The UN and various international bodies have described the situation as a true genocide and the worst-case scenario for civilians. Reports from the Sudan Tribune and Genocide Watch indicate the RSF is digging mass graves and conducting cleanup operations to dispose of bodies and destroy evidence of atrocities.
Response from parties
The RSF maintains that the victory is a pivotal moment and a step toward building a new state. The SAF and pro-army groups initially dismissed the claims as psychological warfare before the withdrawal was confirmed. The Transitional Sovereign Council vowed that security would eventually be restored.
The UN Secretary-General warned of a terrible escalation, while countries like the US, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt have intensified efforts to negotiate a ceasefire.
Why it matters
The fall of El Fasher represents a turning point in Sudan’s civil war, giving the RSF control over all of Darfur and raising the specter of a permanently divided country. The reports of ethnic targeting, mass killings, and evidence destruction have prompted genocide accusations from the UN and human rights organizations. With tens of thousands fleeing into already overwhelmed displacement camps and international mediation efforts struggling to gain traction, the crisis threatens to destabilize the entire Sahel region while marking one of the worst humanitarian catastrophes of the 2020s.
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