RSF attack kills 60 civilians in Sudan’s El-Fasher
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At least 60 people were killed after an RSF artillery and drone attack hit a displacement shelter in Sudan’s besieged city of El-Fasher.
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Smoke billows after drone strikes by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) targeted the northern port in the Red Sea city of Port Sudan, Sudan, on May 6, 2025. (AP)
At least 60 civilians were killed in a drone and artillery attack launched by Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on Saturday targeting a displacement shelter in the besieged city of El-Fasher, according to local activist groups.
The El-Fasher Resistance Committee reported that the RSF struck the Dar al-Arqam displacement center, located within the grounds of a local university, describing the attack as a “massacre". The group said that several bodies remain trapped under debris in underground shelters following the strike.
The committee, which has played a critical role in coordinating humanitarian aid and documenting atrocities throughout the conflict, urged the international community to intervene immediately to prevent further bloodshed.
El-Fasher, the last state capital in the vast Darfur region not yet under RSF control, has become the latest flashpoint in Sudan’s nearly two-year civil war. The city remains encircled by RSF troops, which have intensified their bombardment in recent months to consolidate power across western Sudan.
Read more: RSF shells mosque shelter in El-Fasher, killing 13 displaced civilians
El-Fasher under siege: “An open-air morgue”
Local activists described El-Fasher as “an open-air morgue,” where more than 400,000 civilians remain trapped with little access to food, medicine, or clean water. After nearly 18 months under siege, conditions have reached catastrophic levels, with residents reportedly surviving on animal feed that now costs hundreds of dollars per sack.
Humanitarian organizations have warned that famine is imminent, as most soup kitchens and aid operations in the city have been forced to close due to the lack of supplies.
Read more: Sudan’s children face deadly disease surge amid war and collapse
Sudan’s civil war, which erupted in April 2023 between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) under General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has left tens of thousands dead and displaced over 11 million people, pushing 25 million into acute hunger.
As of October 2025, the SAF has asserted control over the majority of Khartoum, including the capital city, Omdurman, and Khartoum North (Bahri). This follows a series of strategic offensives beginning in late 2024 and culminating in the recapture of key urban centers in early 2025.
- March 2025: The SAF recaptured Khartoum International Airport and the Presidential Palace, marking a major shift in the city’s control.
- May 2025: Khartoum State was declared “completely free” of RSF forces.
- Late 2025: Reports indicate that RSF has been largely expelled, with only isolated pockets remaining.
On the other hand, the RSF continues to pose a threat through drone strikes, artillery shelling, and other asymmetric tactics, particularly in peripheral areas. While the SAF now controls Khartoum, the RSF controls large areas in the west such as Darfur, where El-Fasher remains strategically vital, underscoring the ongoing complexity of Sudan’s path to stability.
Read more: 2,000 Colombian mercenaries fighting with RSF rebels in Sudan
