Sudan's army has confirmed its withdrawal from El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, one day after the Rapid Support Forces militia claimed full control of the city following months of siege, shelling, and starvation.
Commander-in-Chief Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan said Monday that field commanders had decided to evacuate to spare the city further devastation. “We agreed they should relocate to a safer position to protect the remaining population and spare the rest of the city,” he said in a televised address. He described the decision as essential amid “systematic killings and destruction targeting civilians.”
Al-Burhan rejected characterizations of the retreat as defeat. “The armed forces are capable of regaining control. We will cleanse this land and eliminate these mercenaries,” he said.
He vowed accountability for those responsible for atrocities. “What happened in El-Fasher, and across Sudan, will not go unanswered, even if the world stays silent. International law is being trampled, and yet no one speaks. But we, as Sudanese, will seek justice.”
The RSF had announced on Sunday that its fighters had taken full control of El-Fasher, after capturing the army’s Sixth Division base following days of intense fighting. The paramilitary group called the victory “a defining moment” and pledged to continue until it “liberates every inch of Sudan.”
El-Fasher was the final major city in Darfur not held by the RSF and had endured a year-long blockade. Egypt had repeatedly warned of a looming humanitarian catastrophe and backed African Union mediation efforts.
El-Fasher had been at the heart of the conflict since April 2023. Aid organizations reported extreme shortages of food and medicine, with hunger and disease spreading among the city’s estimated 250,000 residents.
Both warring factions face allegations of war crimes. Human rights monitors accused the RSF of targeting civilians with drones and artillery, while the army was blamed for indiscriminate shelling of residential areas.
A recent UN mission concluded that RSF fighters committed crimes against humanity during the siege; “large-scale sexual violence.” Separate investigations also implicated army units in abuses.
Activists warned that full RSF control could reignite ethnically driven massacres, referencing earlier atrocities at Zamzam camp, south of the city.
Analysts say RSF dominance in El-Fasher cements its hold on Darfur and could reshape the broader war. The city was the army’s last foothold in western Sudan, a region that borders Libya, Chad, the Central African Republic, and South Sudan.
