The UN has appealed for the safe evacuation of civilians trapped in Sudan’s el-Fasher, as paramilitary forces claim to have captured the army’s main base in the city.
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) say they have seized full control of el-Fasher, the Sudanese army’s last stronghold in Darfur, raising fears of worsening violence in the besieged city. The military has not confirmed the loss of its headquarters, but verified videos show RSF fighters celebrating the takeover.
Fighting has intensified since Saturday after RSF troops took over the residence of North Darfur’s governor. Local allies of the army said clashes were still ongoing in parts of el-Fasher.
The UN’s humanitarian chief, Tom Fletcher, warned that more than 250,000 civilians were now effectively trapped.
“With fighters pushing further into the city and escape routes cut off, hundreds of thousands of civilians are trapped and terrified – shelled, starving, and without access to food, healthcare, or safety,” he said in a statement.
The RSF has been accused of encircling the city with an earth barrier and targeting civilians, prompting the UN to call el-Fasher the “epicentre of suffering” in Sudan’s civil war.
Secretary-General António Guterres described the escalation as “terrible” and said civilian suffering was “unbearable”, according to AFP.
The U.S. has also called for safe passage and is seeking to broker a ceasefire.
Control of el-Fasher would mark a strategic victory for the RSF, which suffered a setback after being pushed out of Khartoum.
The group already dominates much of Darfur and the neighbouring Kordofan region, and has indicated plans to establish a rival administration in the city.
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