On 15th October 2025, A recent report revealed that over 250,000 civilians remain trapped in El Fasher, Sudan, which has endured a 549-day siege by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The Rapid Support Forces better known as RSF are a powerful paramilitary group in Sudan, led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo that was formalized under the reign of former President Oman al-Bashir to help fight insurgents and secure the Sudanese borders, surprisingly the group formed from the Janjaweed militias majorly now operates as rival to the National Army of Sudan.
El Fasher is a city located in Daruf region which is also the last major city the force controls and during this military ruled siege on the city several homes have been destroyed, food and water is nearly unavailable, and malnutrition is spreading like a pest attack. Such a control not only collapses the Medical infrastructure, but makes it almost impossible for anyone to flee the area due to constant shelling and drone attacks.
This siege that began around April 2024 has lasted for over 550 days now that services starve and pressure remaining defendants of freedom fighters into surrender.
The Primary aim of the RFF is to force surrender through starvation in the region as its a strategic city for them to maintain dominance over the entire region, which is why the RSF did not only surround the city on all sides but used various economic, medical, and social tactics to worsen off the situation for the innocent inhabitants of the city.
Considering the fragility of this matter, UN agencies warn that without access, famine and cholera could wipe out tens of thousands within weeks while the RSF continues to ethnically cleanse the region. Other neighbouring nations like Chad and Central African Republic on the other hand are worried that a potential refugee flow could result in regional destabilisation.
Essentially even though international organisations like the UN and AU have proposed possible humanitarian plans and initiatives but due to the RSF’s existence, such implementations lack pressure and initiation. In addition to this, international focus on Ukraine and Gaza has also generally overshadowed Sudan’s collapse, allowing various atrocities to escalate unchecked. As days pass by the RSF continued to encircle the city, by choking all access routes and blocking any possible aid convoys. Frequent use of drones, artillery and snipers also just act as salt to injury in this crisis drenched situation.
