El-fasher,Sudan – Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are tightening their siege of El-Fasher,the capital of North Darfur,constructing an extensive earthen wall that threatens to isolate the city and possibly fracture Sudan further,according to a new report from Yale University’s Humanitarian Research Lab (HRL) and corroborated by eyewitness accounts.
The escalating conflict in El-Fasher represents a critical turning point in Sudan’s ongoing civil war, which erupted on April 15, 2023, between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF. If El-Fasher falls to the RSF, the paramilitary group would gain complete control of the entire Darfur region, raising fears of widespread atrocities and potentially accelerating the country’s descent into fragmentation as both warring factions have established rival governments. The situation places over one million civilians at extreme risk, with limited options for escape and dwindling resources.
Satellite imagery analyzed by the HRL reveals the RSF has built a 22-kilometer berm encircling el-Fasher from the west and north. an additional 9 kilometers of the wall extends along a major road to the east,effectively cutting off key supply routes. Construction of the wall is ongoing, and researchers observed significant damage to the village of Alsen, with the majority of the settlement appearing to be destroyed between May 20 and July 6.
“Leaving is perilous,but staying behind was like a slow death,” a resident of El-Fasher told the news agency AFP,highlighting the desperate situation facing civilians trapped in the city.
The HRL report indicates the RSF believes the wall’s construction has created the necessary tactical advantages to defeat the army division stationed in El-Fasher. Researchers also identified damage from RSF bombardments to a vital water treatment facility near the airport, where the army maintains its base. Despite the damage, the plant is believed to remain operational.
Adeeb Abdel Rahman Youssef, a former governor of Central Darfur State, issued an urgent appeal to the UN Security Council on August 30, 2025, at 17:24:18 UTC, calling for protection for El-Fasher’s civilian population. Currently working with the NGO People to People,which has a presence in the city,Youssef stated,”The civilian population in El-Fasher is paying the heaviest price.There is no one to protect them,” in an interview with the BBC World Service.
Additional reporting by the BBC’s Wycliffe Muia and Lucy Fleming
