Official and medical sources have revealed a horrifying humanitarian catastrophe in El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, following the takeover of the city by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Reports indicate mass killings, widespread looting, and attacks on hospitals, marking one of the bloodiest episodes in Sudan’s 18-month-long war.

Darfur’s Health Minister, Babiker Hamdin, told Al Jazeera that “thousands of civilians were killed over the past two days,” noting that all communications have been cut off and survivor testimonies confirm a death toll in the thousands. He added that hospitals are no longer functioning, medical staff have been targeted, and trapped families are suffering from hunger, lack of medicine, and looting.

 Army Withdrawal and Civilian Massacre
The massacre followed the Sudanese army’s withdrawal from the city, a move army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said was intended to “avoid further civilian bloodshed.” However, the withdrawal paved the way for RSF forces to carry out what field sources described as “ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.”

The joint forces allied with the army stated that the RSF “committed horrific massacres against civilians,” reporting that more than 2,000 people — mostly women, children, and the elderly — were executed on October 26 and 27.

 International Reactions and Condemnations
African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssef condemned what he described as “atrocities and alleged war crimes in El-Fasher,” calling for an urgent international investigation. The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) expressed “deep concern over the worsening humanitarian situation” and urged an immediate cessation of hostilities.

Meanwhile, Sudan’s Foreign Ministry accused the RSF of committing “horrific terrorist crimes against civilians,” stating that viral videos “document these atrocities being carried out with pride and impunity.”

 A Devastated City After 18 Months of Siege
El-Fasher was the Sudanese army’s last major stronghold in the Darfur region before falling to RSF forces after an 18-month siege. Its fall marks a strategic turning point in the war, granting RSF near-total control over Darfur amid growing fears of a humanitarian catastrophe and potential genocide as state institutions collapse and aid deliveries cease.