Sudan on the Brink: RSF Seizes El Fasher, Raising Fears of Genocide and Fragmentation
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The Rapid Support Forces’ (RSF) reported capture of El Fasher, the last major Sudanese army stronghold in the Darfur region, signals a risky escalation in the ongoing civil war and raises the specter of widespread ethnic cleansing and the potential breakup of the nation. The RSF announced the takeover on Sunday, though the Sudanese government has yet to confirm the claim.
A History of Atrocity in Darfur
The conflict, raging as 2023, has its roots in the early 2000s when the Janjaweed militia – the precursor to the RSF – committed atrocities in Darfur. The U.S., U.N. experts,and the Sudanese army now accuse the RSF and its allied ethnic-Arab militias of committing genocide against African ethnic groups in the region.
videos circulating online,though unverified by NPR,purportedly show RSF fighters celebrating their victory in El Fasher,pursuing fleeing civilians,and directing racial slurs at det
and without access to food,healthcare,or safety” as escape routes are cut off. A senior official emphasized the urgent need for humanitarian corridors to be opened immediately, noting that “the world is watching El Fasher and the RSF’s actions with deep concern.”
International Response and Accusations of Inaction
Despite the gravity of the situation, critics argue the international community has been slow to respond effectively. A Sudan specialist at the U.S.-based nonprofit Avaaz stated, “The international community has thus far failed in its responsibility to protect civilians, standing by whilst the RSF perpetrates a succession of ethnically-motivated massacres of civilians across Sudan.”
Thousands are at risk of “atrocity crimes” in and around El Fasher, according to rights groups, who largely blame the RSF, led by Mohamed Hamdan dagalo, known as Hemeti, for the majority of atrocities. The Sudan Doctors Network reported “dozens of people” killed in a “horrific massacre…in a crime of ethnic cleansing” following the RSF’s takeover of the El Fasher military base, though NPR has not independently verified this claim.
The RSF’s history of violence is well-documented. In April, the group attacked the ZamZam displacement camp in North Darfur, home to approximately half a million people, resulting in hundreds of deaths. Doctors without Borders reported treating approximately 300 people who fled El Fasher between October 26th and 27th, with 130 requiring emergency care, including 15 needing life-saving surgery. the majority of children under five arriving from the city were found to be malnourished.
A Nation at a Crossroads
The conflict in Sudan, now in its second and a half years, has already killed tens of thousands and displaced 14 million people, creating what the United Nations describes as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. The war, fought over control of the resource-rich nation strategically located between North africa, the Sahel, the Horn of Africa, and the Red Sea, is not occurring in isolation.
Multiple international actors are involved, complicating efforts to achieve a ceasefire. U.N.Secretary-General António Gueterres lamented “external interference” on Monday, stating it was undermining the possibility of peace. Saudi Arabia, egypt, and Iran are reportedly supporting the Sudanese army, while the United Arab Emirates has been accused of backing the RSF – a claim the UAE denies.
While the army, led by de-facto Sudanese leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, briefly regained control of the capital Khartoum earlier this year, the RSF has regrouped in Darfur. For 18 months, the RSF besieged El Fasher, targeting civilians with drones and strikes, leading to widespread starvation and famine. With the RSF now apparently in control of the entire Darfur region, experts fear the country could fracture along regional lines, mirroring the scenario that led to the creation of South Sudan. The RSF has even announced the establishment of a rival government, though it has not received international recognition.
