Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) announced the capture of the national army’s headquarters in El Fasher, the last major army position in the Darfur region in western Sudan.

Two RSF-released videos posted on Sunday show their fighters celebrating in front of signage for the army’s Sixth Infantry Division. The footage has been verified in terms of location by Reuters, but the precise date remains unconfirmed. The Sudanese army has not issued a response regarding its current stance.

Securing El Fasher would mark a strategic triumph for the RSF, potentially advancing the country toward division. Control of the Darfur region may allow the RSF to strengthen a rival administration it has been developing since the summer.

This development follows the RSF’s recent capture of Bara, a key city in North Kordofan. The region acts as a corridor between Darfur and the capital, Khartoum, and separates RSF-held territory from areas under the army’s command in the country’s east.

RSF Keeps Pressure on El Fasher for 18 Months

For a year and a half, the RSF maintained a blockade on El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, battling against state military forces as well as allied rebel movements and local militias.

The RSF has launched repeated artillery and drone strikes in the area, often impacting civilians. The blockade has contributed to severe food shortages for the approximately 250,000 residents in the city’s western zones.

Some human rights advocates have previously cautioned that if the RSF took full control of El Fasher, it could provoke ethnically charged retaliatory violence, similar to what happened when RSF forces captured the Zamzam displacement camp nearby.

Reuters reporters were unable to contact El Fasher residents due to a prolonged telecommunications outage; many rely on Starlink devices to connect to the internet.

UN Reports RSF Committed Atrocities

Last week, the RSF claimed it was allowing civilians and surrendered armed fighters to leave El Fasher. However, those who escaped have alleged they were subjected to looting, abduction, sexual violence, and murder, all reportedly at the hands of RSF combatants.

A video shared by an RSF deputy leader depicts RSF personnel escorting a large convoy of men they described as demobilized soldiers. Reuters has yet to confirm when or where the video was recorded.

A United Nations-appointed mission reported last month that the RSF had committed numerous acts constituting crimes against humanity during the siege of El Fasher. The Sudanese army has also been implicated in various conflict-related offenses.

Local activist group El Fasher Resistance Committees stated that fighting continues in the city. They accused army officials of abandoning their troops, forcing them to fight largely unsupported.

Drone video shared by the RSF, which Reuters confirmed was above El Fasher’s western section, appeared to show vehicles and people walking away from the city. Their identities—as either civilians or troops—remain uncertain. Meanwhile, other unverified videos on social media suggest dozens of captured fighters are in RSF custody.

Conflict Displaces Millions and Sparks Widespread Hunger

The conflict between Sudan’s military and the RSF started in April 2023, following a fallout between the two groups, which were originally partners in a transitional government. Disagreement over military integration led to open warfare.

The ongoing battles have forced millions to flee their homes, driven mass hunger across half the nation, and worsened the public health crisis as disease spreads.

This past weekend, American officials engaged in discussions with representatives from the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia to explore possibilities for a peace initiative.

Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced diplomatic talks were underway in Washington. However, the Sovereign Council, governed by the military, refuted claims that indirect negotiations between the warring factions were taking place.