The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group with a history rooted in the notorious Janjaweed militias, has claimed control of Al-Faschir, the capital of North Darfur, marking a potentially decisive shift in the ongoing conflict with the Sudanese army. The RSF declared its seizure of the city on Sunday, framing it as a liberation from “mercenaries and militias allied with the terror army” a statement immediately contested by local resistance groups.
While independent verification remains limited, emerging videos and witness accounts lend credence to the RSF’s claims, depicting RSF members within what were previously army bases. The Sudanese army, reportedly facing heavy bombardment, has retreated westward and fighting continues within the city. This represents a significant escalation in a conflict that has ravaged Sudan since April 2023, as Al-Faschir was one of the last major urban centers in Darfur still under government control. An estimated 300,000 civilians remain trapped within the besieged city.
The RSF’s assertion of establishing a “founding government” to ensure civilian protection, displaced persons’ return and humanitarian aid distribution raises concerns regarding the legitimacy and intentions of any governing structure operating under their control. This claim appears designed to project an image of stability while consolidating RSF influence in Darfur, a region already scarred by decades of conflict and accusations of ethnic cleansing, directly linked to the legacy of the Janjaweed militias from which the RSF evolved.
Resistance leaders, countering the RSF narrative via social media, insist that the city’s population continues to defend itself and accuses the RSF of conducting a “misleading media campaign” intending to incite panic. This back-and-forth highlights the intense information warfare underway, as both sides attempt to shape the narrative and potentially garner support.
Human rights organizations and local residents are leveling grave accusations against the RSF, alleging deliberate attacks on marketplaces, hospitals and internally displaced persons’ settlements – actions that have resulted in numerous civilian casualties and a deepening humanitarian crisis. The conflict is unfolding within a complex power struggle between RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo (“Hemedti”) and General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, leaders who previously shared a transitional government before it fractured, plunging Sudan into devastating warfare. The fall of Al-Faschir could dramatically reshape the dynamics of this conflict and further destabilize the already fragile situation in Sudan.