The fall of El Fasher, the last army stronghold in Sudan’s Darfur region, has triggered one of the bloodiest chapters in the country’s civil war.
Following an 18-month siege characterised by starvation, mass executions, and targeting of civilians, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) took over the city, displacing tens of thousands of its residents.
Reports of widespread killings and sexual violence have emerged, sparking calls for an immediate ceasefire and an end to the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
Mass violence, exodus
According to the United Nations refugee agency, over 60,000 people have left El Fasher since its capture last week, with roughly 150,000 still stranded.
Satellite photos and eyewitness accounts confirmed widespread killings in the city, particularly at the Saudi Hospital and the nearby University of Medical Laboratory Science.
RSF soldiers allegedly shot patients, medical staff, and civilians in what the Sudan Doctors Network called a series of “cold-blooded killings”.
As of writing, UN reports revealed that at least 25 women were subjected to sexual violence “at gunpoint” when RSF troops stormed a shelter near El Fasher University.
“Women and girls in El Fasher, Sudan, have been trapped under siege, facing starvation, bombardment, and horrific sexual violence,” the UN Women said in a social media post.
Calls for ceasefire, end of abuses
In a statement released on October 31, UN High Commissioner Volker Turk warned that attacks on medical institutions, humanitarian workers, and civilians might constitute crimes under international law.
“These extremely grave allegations raise urgent questions as to the circumstances of these killings in what should be places of safety for anyone in need of medical help,” he said through a statement released by the UN Human Rights Office.
Turk called for an independent investigation into these allegations.
He also urged the halt of armed support to military personnel responsible for the atrocities.
Likewise, countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany, and Jordan denounced the situation as “horrifying” and “apocalyptic”.
They called for the international community to put a stop to the violence.
“No amount of aid can resolve a crisis of this magnitude until the guns fall silent,” UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper stated.
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Turning point in civil war
The capture of El Fasher marks a turning point in the Sudanese civil war.
It reinforced RSF’s control over western Sudan and the neighbouring province of Kordofan, effectively cutting off the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) from its western front.
According to analysts, the seizure gives the RSF strategic control over gold-rich areas and key trade lines.
This could serve as their primary source of funding for the war, giving RSF political and economic leverage in any future negotiations.
It also splits the country into two factions: the RSF-ruled west and the SAF’s stronghold in the east.
With over 150,000 dead and 12 million displaced since the violence began in 2023, the UN refers to the Sudanese civil war as the worst humanitarian crisis in history.
Geoffrey H. Latayan 
Vivien Bernardino