UN Pleads for Safe Passage as RSF Claims Control of Key Sudan City

RSF Claims Capture of El-Fasher Base

• paramilitary fighters announced they have seized control of the army's main base in el-Fasher, a significant turning point in Sudan's civil war.
• The RSF released propaganda videos declaring victory, with commanders expressing emotion over fallen fighters.
• The army has not acknowledged the loss of the site, stating that fighting continues within the city.

Humanitarian Crisis in El-Fasher

• 🌍 El-Fasher is the last remaining army foothold in the western Darfur region and has been besieged by the RSF for 18 months.
• 💔 A quarter of a million civilians, half of them children, remain trapped inside the city.
• 😥 Many civilians are starving, surviving on animal feed, with some reporting not having eaten for days and only waiting for death.
• ⚠️ The UN has called for safe passage for these trapped civilians.

Broader Conflict and Accusations

• 📈 The capture of el-Fasher could be a crucial comeback for the RSF after defeats elsewhere, but likely signals the continuation of the war.
• ⚖️ Both sides in the conflict have been accused of war crimes.
• 🚫 The RSF has also been accused of ethnic cleansing.
• 👥 The conflict has resulted in at least 150,000 deaths and nearly 10 million displaced people.