Sudanese Army Exit Reshapes El-Fasher
General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan confirmed late Monday that the last Sudanese army units have left el-Fasher, their final bastion in Darfur, after Rapid Support Forces fighters overran the main headquarters the previous day (Al Jazeera, 28 Oct 2025).
Al-Burhan said the withdrawal aims to shield residents from what he labelled RSF “systemic destruction” and promised to hold perpetrators accountable once conditions allow. His statement was broadcast from Port Sudan, where the army leadership has been based since 2023.
Quarter-Million Civilians Face RSF Rule
The United Nations estimates that more than 260,000 civilians—half of them children—were trapped inside the city before the pull-out, leaving the RSF in effective control of vital food, water and medical supplies.
UN Reports Mounting Atrocity Risk
UN Secretary-General António Guterres called the takeover “a terrible escalation” and warned that Sudan’s already unbearable suffering could deepen without immediate restraint.
Human rights chief Volker Türk cited reports of summary executions and ethnically motivated killings, describing an urgent risk of mass atrocities in el-Fasher if international pressure fails to deter the RSF.
Darfur Shift May Reignite Secession Fears
Analysts note that control of Darfur’s last government-held city could embolden secessionist ideas, echoing the 2011 split that birthed South Sudan, while intensifying the power struggle that began in Khartoum in April 2023.
Aid Groups Demand Safe Humanitarian Corridors
Medical networks accuse RSF fighters of looting hospitals and turning el-Fasher into a “brutal killing field”, while aid agencies such as the Norwegian Refugee Council report lost contact with local partners and urge safe corridors for civilians and humanitarian workers.