Thousands flee as fighting intensifies in North Darfur's Al-Malha
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Since the outbreak of war in April 2023, hostilities between the RSF and the army have left tens of thousands dead, uprooted more than 12 million people, and triggered what the UN describes as the world's most severe hunger and displacement emergency.
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Khatmallah Ali, 30, a South Sudanese whose husband is from Sudan's western Darfur region, holds her one month old baby under a tree with her three other children, at the South Sudan People's Defense Forces (SSPDF) headquarters in Juba, South Sudan, on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025 (AP Photo/Florence Miettaux)
Tens of thousands have been forced to leave their homes in North Darfur as clashes between Sudan's rival forces escalated late last week. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), approximately 15,000 families were displaced from the town of Al-Malha over a two-day period, from Thursday to Friday.
The violence is the latest in the ongoing conflict between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese army, which has also been backed by local militias. Most of the displaced fled to surrounding areas within North Darfur, the UN agency reported Monday.
Since the outbreak of war in April 2023, hostilities between the RSF and the army have left tens of thousands dead, uprooted more than 12 million people, and triggered what the UN describes as the world's most severe hunger and displacement emergency.
In North Darfur alone, the UN estimates nearly 1.7 million people are currently displaced, while around two million face critical food shortages.
Al-Malha Seized
On Thursday, the RSF announced it had taken control of Al-Malha, a town situated near the edge of a mountainous region roughly 200 kilometers northeast of El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur. Activist groups in El-Fasher reported at least 45 civilian casualties during the assault.
In a statement, the RSF said they had "encircled the enemy… leaving more than 380 dead" in the attack on Al-Malha.
The town holds strategic value as one of the northernmost populated areas in the desert expanse between Sudan and Libya. For months, it has been a contested zone between the RSF and the Joint Forces—a coalition of armed groups aligned with the army.
El-Fasher remains the only state capital still under army control. Meanwhile, Sudanese forces recently regained the presidential palace in Khartoum, located approximately 800 kilometers from the frontlines in North Darfur.
Read more: Sudanese army seizes control over main headquarters of central bank
Analysts believe the RSF is now focused on securing dominance over Darfur, especially as army-allied groups have cut off vital supply routes from Chad and Libya since last year.
The humanitarian situation in North Darfur continues to deteriorate. Three displacement camps near El-Fasher have already been declared in famine, and UN forecasts warn that five more areas—including the capital—may fall into famine conditions by May.
