In a major development in Sudan’s ongoing civil war, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) announced on Sunday that it had captured the city of El-Fasher, the Sudanese army’s final stronghold in the Darfur region. This move gives the RSF complete control over Darfur and effectively splits Sudan into two with the paramilitaries holding the west and the army controlling the east, including the capital Khartoum.

The RSF’s announcement came just hours after it said it had seized the Sudanese military’s 6th Division Headquarters in El-Fasher the last significant army base in the region.

Background of the Sudanese Civil War

The Sudanese civil war broke out in 2023 between the national army, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF, commanded by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as “Hemedti.” Their fragile power-sharing deal collapsed, plunging the nation into chaos.

The United Nations has described the Sudanese conflict as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. According to estimates, nearly 150,000 people have been killed, hundreds of thousands wounded, and about 14 million displaced since the war began. Around 24 million people face severe hunger, and 600,000 are on the brink of famine.

El-Fasher, where approximately 260,000 residents remain, has been under RSF siege since April 2024 and is reportedly facing extreme food shortages.

Fears of Ethnic Cleansing Rise

The RSF’s capture of El-Fasher has renewed fears of mass killings and ethnic cleansing in Darfur. The group and its allied Arab militias have already been accused of targeting non-Arab communities.

According to reports, more than 17,000 people from non-Arab ethnic groups have been killed in the region during the current war. In one of the worst massacres in El-Geneina, the UN reported that up to 15,000 people were killed by RSF fighters and their allies.

This violence recalls the atrocities between 2003 and 2005, when the RSF’s predecessor — under orders from former dictator Omar al-Bashir carried out a genocidal campaign in Darfur. Around 300,000 people were killed, entire villages were burned, and thousands of women were subjected to rape and sexual slavery.

Reports of Civilian Exodus

Following the RSF’s latest claims, aid workers told The New York Times that thousands of civilians are fleeing El-Fasher. Videos on social media reportedly show long lines of people leaving the city as RSF fighters drive by.

There are also reports that RSF has circulated a list of Sudanese army officers it seeks to capture in the city, raising concerns of revenge killings and further atrocities.

RSF Strengthens Its Grip on Darfur

With El-Fasher under its control, the RSF now dominates the mineral-rich Darfur region, home to several gold mines that serve as the group’s major revenue source. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is believed to have financial interests in these mines.

Analysts suggest that the RSF’s control over Darfur could deepen Sudan’s division, with the west under paramilitary rule and the east remaining under army control. The UAE has previously worked with the RSF during its military campaign in Yemen against Iran-backed Houthi rebels, strengthening the paramilitary group’s external ties.