RAPID SUPPORT FORCES MASTERS OF EL-FASHER
Since October 26, 2025, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have claimed the recapture of the strategically important city of El-Fasher in North Darfur, according to the Chinese news agency Xinhua. The group stated in a statement on social media that it had recaptured El-Fasher « from the grip of mercenaries and militias allied with the terrorist army. »
This loss represents a serious setback for the Sudanese armed forces, as El-Fasher was their last stronghold in the North Darfur region, thus leaving the area effectively under the control of the RSF. According to official sources, the army is refraining from commenting on the situation in this area. According to Al Jazeera reporter Hiba Morgan, reporting from Khartoum, the Sudanese capital, the RSF’s takeover of the SAF base in El Fasher comes after months of siege and days of heavy fighting. The base is the headquarters of the army’s 6th Division, where the Rapid Support Forces reportedly destroyed « huge military vehicles » and seized military equipment.
According to security sources, the RSF had surrounded El Fasher for 18 months, frequently bombarding army positions and civilians. An estimated 300,000 people were trapped by the fighting.
Last August, satellite images showed a series of vast earthen walls being built around the city, aimed at trapping the Port Sudan junta’s fighters inside.
For weeks, the RSF had been steadily advancing towards the 6th Infantry Division command post—widely considered the army’s headquarters in the city—from several directions.
Parts of El Fasher were still under the control of the army and allied armed groups as of October 26, but they were not expected to hold out for long. UN relief chief Tom Fletcher said Sunday he was « deeply alarmed » by the reports from al-Fasher and called for an immediate ceasefire in Darfur and the rest of Sudan.
“Hundreds of thousands of civilians are trapped and terrified: bombarded, starving, and without access to food, healthcare, or safety,” Fletcher said in a statement, adding that the intensified attacks had made it “impossible” to deliver aid to the city.
Hunger and disease have spread in El Fasher as residents cope with constant bombardment and a shortage of food and medical supplies.
Also last week, the RSF said it had facilitated the exit of civilians and surrendered fighters from El Fasher to avoid the robberies, sexual assaults, and murders, often committed by soldiers of the corrupt ruling army on their way to their retreat.
As a reminder, the conflict raging in Sudan began in April 2023. It has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced more than 12 million people, making it the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary force commanded by General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, known as Hemetti, have been fighting the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) by besieging El Fasher since May 2024.
This latest victory for the RSF comes after the US Treasury announced a new round of sanctions against individuals and entities involved in international terrorism and the war in Sudan alongside the government of General Al-Burhan. These individuals include the Al-Bara’ ibn Malik Battalion, considered the most important armed wing of the Muslim Brotherhood.
Observers say Washington is weary of the Muslim Brotherhood’s conduct in Sudan and that American circles increasingly see the need to increase pressure on the movement, which they consider the main disruptor of peace in the country. The US State Department has stated that it will use all tools at its disposal to prevent the Muslim Brotherhood from returning to power in Sudan. It accuses the group of playing a central role in weakening the previous transitional civilian government, obstructing the framework agreement, and contributing to the outbreak of war between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in April 2023.
The State Department added that these « extremist » terrorist groups continue to disrupt efforts to secure a ceasefire and end the conflict, benefiting from the protection of the Port Sudan junta. Seeking to block a transfer of power to civilians under international pressure, the Muslim Brotherhood pushed the army leadership into a military confrontation with the RSF.
According to analysts, the designation of the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization could be the next step following the Quartet’s declaration and the sanctions imposed on one of its main armed militias. They believe this decision could ease the burden on the army leadership and encourage it to seriously engage in peace efforts, given the difficulty it faces in militarily defeating the RSF.
The takeover of the entire Darfur region now allows for the development of a major Rapid Support Forces offensive against strategic cities such as Khartoum and Port Sudan.