Thousands feared ‘in grave danger’ in Sudanese city after fall to rebels
Iran raps attacks on civilians, stresses support for Sudan’s territorial integrity
Thousands of civilians are feared trapped and in imminent danger in the Sudanese city of El-Fasher after its fall to armed rebels, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said Saturday.
At war with the Sudanese army since April 2023, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) seized El-Fasher on October 26, pushing the military out of its last stronghold in Darfur after a grinding 18-month siege marked by starvation and bombardment.
Since the city's fall, reports have emerged of summary executions, sexual violence, attacks on aid workers, looting and abductions, while communications remain largely cut off.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in a Friday phone conversation with his Sudanese counterpart, Mohi El-Din Salem, condemned the deadly attacks on civilians and emphasized Tehran’s unwavering support for Sudan’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
Araghchi reiterated Iran’s commitment to supporting the legitimate government of Sudan and standing in solidarity with its people.
Survivors from El-Fasher who reached the nearby town of Tawila have told of mass killings, children shot before their parents, and civilians beaten and robbed as they fled.
The UN says more than 65,000 people have fled El-Fasher since Sunday but tens of thousands remain trapped. Around 260,000 people were in the city before the RSF's final assault.
"Large numbers of people remain in grave danger and are being prevented by the Rapid Support Forces and its allies from reaching safer areas," Doctors Without Borders said.
The NGO added that only 5,000 people had managed to make their way to Tawila, about 70 kilometers to the west.
Several eyewitnesses told MSF that a group of 500 civilians, along with soldiers from the military and the army-allied Joint Forces, had attempted to flee on Sunday, but most were killed or captured by the RSF and their allies.
The UN said Friday the death toll from the armed rebels’ assault on the city may be in the hundreds, while army allies accused the militant group of killing over 2,000 civilians.
The RSF has received weapons and drones from the UAE, according to UN reports, though Abu Dhabi has denied giving any support to the rebel group.
El-Fasher's capture gives the RSF full control over all five state capitals in Darfur, effectively splitting Sudan along an east-west axis, with the army controlling the north, east and center.
UN officials have warned that the violence is now spreading to the neighboring Kordofan region, with reports emerging of "large-scale atrocities perpetrated" by the RSF.
The wider conflict has killed tens of thousands, displaced nearly 12 million and created the world's largest displacement and hunger crises.