EL-FASHER – The Sudanese paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) say they’ve seized the army headquarters in the city of El-Fasher in North Darfur, following months of blockade and deadly fighting.
There’s been no comment from the army. Heavy fighting has been reported since Saturday after RSF fighters captured the residence of the North Darfur governor.
Local sources cited by Rakuba News outlet reported that violent clashes erupted in the Daraga neighborhood of El Fasher on Sunday morning, October 26, following the Sudanese army’s withdrawal from the headquarters of the 6th Infantry Division.
This escalation coincided with the Rapid Support Forces intensifying their field attacks since Saturday, October 25, focusing their operations on targeting vital military sites within the city.
The artillery shelling carried out by the forces over the past hours resulted in the injury of a number of volunteers near the central kitchen, reflecting the expansion of military operations into residential areas and further complicating the humanitarian situation.
An RSF statement said its forces “managed to liberate the 6th Division in El Fasher, breaking the back of the army and its allies by establishing full control over this strategic military base.”
Its spokesperson called the development a significant turning point and “a step on the path to building a new state that all Sudanese will participate in establishing according to their aspirations for freedom, peace, and justice.”
The statement added that the RSF is coordinating with a “founding government” to protect civilians, facilitate the return of the displaced, and ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid.
A field source confirmed that fighting is still ongoing inside El Fasher, despite the Rapid Support Forces’ advance toward the headquarters of the Sixth Division.
Since April 2024, El Fasher has been under attacks and a siege by the RSF, which is accused of using foreign mercenaries to operate drones and the heavy artillery that bombards the city daily.
The paramilitary group has also been accused of targeting civilians in airstrikes and trapping nearly a quarter of a million people after encircling the city with an earth wall, leaving many on the brink of starvation.