Reports of atrocities as RSF captures Darfur | Project Force

Key Concepts:

• Al Fascia: Last major city held by the Sudanese army in Darfur.
• Sudanese Army: Government forces.
• Rapid Support Forces (RSF): Paramilitary group.
• Darfur: Region in western Sudan.
• Massacres: Widespread killing of civilians.
• Humanitarian Crisis: Severe lack of essential resources and services.
• MSF (Doctors Without Borders): International humanitarian organization.

Fall of Al Fascia and RSF Atrocities

Al Fascia, the final significant stronghold of the Sudanese army in Darfur, fell after a siege lasting over a year and a half. The collapse of the defending army was accompanied by extensive massacres of civilians. An estimated tens of thousands of individuals remain trapped within the city, facing severe shortages of food and resources, while members of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) reportedly inflict violence upon the starving civilian population.

Military Operations and RSF Mobilization

The RSF had amassed a substantial force of up to 28,000 fighters for the siege of Al Fascia. The city was defended by the government's Sixth Infantry Division and allied militias. Sustained assaults, artillery bombardments, and drone strikes by the RSF gradually weakened the defenses. By the summer prior to the city's fall, the Sudanese army's only means of resupply was through increasingly infrequent air drops. The decisive moment occurred in late October when the RSF captured the Sixth Division headquarters, leading to the complete disintegration of the Sudanese army's presence in Al Fascia.

Reported Killings and Violence Against Civilians

Following the capture of Al Fascia, RSF fighters are reported to have killed hundreds of civilians within the city's hospital alone. Patients, healthcare workers, and individuals seeking refuge in the hospital were allegedly shot, with some incidents reportedly captured on camera. The violence extended to both government soldiers and civilians, who were targeted indiscriminately. The scale of the slaughter was reportedly so severe that satellite imagery could detect pools of blood-soaked sand from space.

Survivors' Accounts and Humanitarian Impact

Even individuals who managed to escape Al Fascia were not safe from RSF units. Survivors have recounted experiences of extortion and sexual violence, with many witnessing summary executions. Workers from Doctors Without Borders (MSF) reported that individuals arriving at their camps in Tawila, located 60 kilometers away, were in dire condition, often possessing only the clothes on their backs and bearing stories of murder and rape. A notable observation was the scarcity of men of military age among the survivors.

Redrawing of Battle Lines and Escalating Conflict

The RSF's capture of Al Fascia has significantly altered the strategic landscape of the conflict. The RSF now controls western Sudan and Darfur, while the Sudanese army maintains control over the central and eastern regions, as well as the capital, Khartoum. The United Nations has reported massacres being perpetrated by the RSF in the town of Barra, which was recaptured by the RSF in October. Barra's strategic importance lies in its location on a major central highway. The war in Sudan is intensifying, with both the RSF and the Sudanese army engaged in battles across multiple fronts. Despite growing international condemnation, atrocities continue to occur, plunging the country into the world's largest humanitarian crisis with no immediate end to the suffering of the Sudanese people in sight.