Mon Feb 03 20:20:33 IST 2025: ## Sudan’s El-Fasher on Brink of Fall to RSF, Raising Fears of Genocide
**El-Fasher, North Darfur –** The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are poised to seize el-Fasher, the last major city in western Darfur controlled by the Sudanese army, within days, according to analysts, local monitors, and RSF sources. This imminent takeover fuels grave concerns of an impending humanitarian catastrophe and potential genocide.
RSF advisors have openly declared their intention to capture el-Fasher, launching a multi-pronged assault using drones and artillery. Satellite imagery confirms the RSF encirclement of the city. The RSF’s strategy, according to analysts, involves distracting attacks from the east while launching decisive strikes from the west.
The conflict, which erupted in April 2023 following a power struggle between the RSF and the army, has already resulted in widespread atrocities. Credible reports detail mass killings and systematic gang rape committed by the RSF in their conquest of other Darfur regions. Both sides are accused of human rights abuses.
The RSF’s renewed focus on el-Fasher follows setbacks elsewhere in Sudan. The rainy season previously hampered their advance, but now they are pushing aggressively, culminating in a recent massacre of at least 80 civilians in Borush village. Videos of the massacre, verified by Al Jazeera, show bodies lying in a trench. The RSF claims the victims were armed combatants, a claim refuted by witnesses who state that civilians took up arms in self-defense.
The fall of el-Fasher poses an extreme threat to the Zamzam displacement camp, home to over half a million people, many of whom are from “non-Arab” tribes who have already suffered genocidal violence at the hands of RSF predecessors. The camp has already been shelled multiple times. Residents fear a massacre should the RSF gain control.
Analysts and human rights groups cite the RSF’s access to sophisticated weaponry, allegedly supplied by countries such as the UAE, as a major factor in their success. While the UAE denies supplying weapons to the RSF, accusations persist from US lawmakers and experts who point to the RSF’s advanced weaponry and the UAE’s alleged role in facilitating arms shipments.
The international community is facing criticism for its perceived inaction. Experts call for the immediate establishment of green zones, no-fly zones, and civilian protection forces to prevent further atrocities. The looming fall of el-Fasher highlights the urgent need for intervention to prevent a catastrophic humanitarian crisis and potential genocide in Darfur.
First Piper 