Rapid Support Forces Seize Last Sudan Darfur Stronghold El-Fasher

The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group in Sudan, have seized control of el-Fasher, the last stronghold of the Sudanese army in the Darfur region, marking a significant turning point in the country's ongoing civil war. The RSF's takeover follows an 18-month siege, during which the city has suffered relentless bombardment, with an estimated 300,000 civilians trapped amid worsening humanitarian conditions including hunger, disease, and violence. Multiple reports from the United Nations and humanitarian groups accuse the RSF of committing crimes against humanity, including summary executions, ethnic cleansing, and sexual violence, with thousands of civilians killed or detained since the city fell. Despite RSF claims of full control, some pockets of resistance from the Sudanese army and allied militias persist, although their collapse appears imminent. The Sudanese government has controversially declared World Food Programme officials persona non grata amid this crisis, complicating humanitarian efforts. International observers and local officials have called for investigations into mass killings and urged the establishment of humanitarian corridors to facilitate civilian evacuation and aid delivery.