At Least 47 Killed in Sudan Army’s Last Darfur Stronghold, El-Fasher

In the latest violence in the Sudanese city of el-Fasher, at least 47 people were killed on Friday, May 24, 2024.

This includes 30 civilians and 17 soldiers, according to local governor Minni Minnawi. The attacks in el-Fasher highlight the continued brutality of the conflict that began over a year ago.

Sudan’s war erupted in mid-April last year due to a feud between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

This conflict has resulted in thousands of deaths, displaced nearly 9 million people, and triggered a severe humanitarian crisis. Initially starting in Khartoum, the fighting spread to Darfur, reigniting ethnic tensions from the early 2000s.

El-Fasher is now the last city in Darfur under SAF control, with the RSF having seized most of the region’s main cities. The RSF’s advances led former Darfur rebel leaders Minnawi and Jibril Ibrahim to join the SAF against the RSF last November.

The RSF, formerly known as the Janjaweed, was responsible for significant violence against non-Arabs in Darfur during the 2003-2020 conflict.

Minnawi condemned the attackers, suggesting their aim is to “exterminate the city.” He also accused a civilian group of supporting the RSF, stating they are waiting for el-Fasher to fall to establish their militia state.

Thousands of civilians are currently trapped in el-Fasher. Alex de Waal, executive director of the World Peace Foundation, warned of potential large-scale brutality and famine if the city falls to the RSF.

He emphasized the city’s importance as the last stronghold of the internationally recognized government in Darfur and a refuge for armed groups allied with the government.

De Waal added that el-Fasher’s fall could lead to “massive rampage and looting” and potentially a large-scale massacre of civilians.