Battle Of El Fasher

The siege of El Fasher is an ongoing battle for control of the town of El Fasher in North Darfur during the Sudan conflict. The first battle for the city took place between 15 and 20 April 2023, and resulted in a ceasefire that held until 12 May. Clashes broke out again between 12 and 29 May, and ended with a more stable ceasefire that lasted until August. By September, the city had become a haven for refugees across the region, without enough food and water.

By December 2023, the United Nations is preparing to withdraw its political mission from Sudan. Nathaniel Raymond, a UN human rights investigator, said "if El Fasher falls, the RSF will be able to complete the genocide begun by the Janjaweed through ethnic cleansing of those they have not displaced or killed so far".

Background

War in Darfur

In 2003, rebel movements in Southern Sudan, the predominantly non-Arab Justice and Equality Movement and Sudan People's Liberation Movement launched attacks against Sudanese Army bases and their allies, the predominantly Arab Janjaweed militia. JEM and SPLM launched the attacks in opposition to dictator Omar al-Bashir, who promptly declared war against the militias. Since 2003, the war has killed hundreds of thousands of people, and displaced many more.

For much of the war in Darfur, El Fasher was controlled by the Sudanese Army and Janjaweed, although rebels held positions in the remote Jebel Marrah. The city was often a place of negotiations, with meetings taking place in 2010 and the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur being signed there in 2013. Despite this, fighting still occurred occasionally in the city, between rebels, UNAMID, the Sudanese Army, and the Janjaweed.

The war in Darfur ended after the Sudanese Revolution ousted al-Bashir in 2020, and warring parties signed the Juba Peace Agreement. Clashes continued sporadically, and looting, raids, and battles stemming from property or ethnic disputes continued in August 2021. In these attacks, dozens of people were killed, and North Darfuri security forces and the Sudanese Army were often unable to stabilize the situation. In December 2021, looting and violence occurred around the former United Nations base in the town, that was used logistically by UNAMID.

In March 2023, tribal clashes continued, with four people killed due to infighting in the Bani Hussein tribe.

Political tensions and beginning of the conflict

Following the Sudanese revolution, Nimir Mohammed Abdelrahman was appointed governor, and Mohammed Hassan Arabi was dismissed. In Khartoum, the Sudanese capital, many Janjaweed enlisted into the Rapid Support Forces led by Hemedti, a paramilitary affiliated with the Sudanese Army founded in 2013. Civilian-administration leader Abdalla Hamdok was overthrown in 2021 by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the transitional military leader, with the aid of the RSF. By early 2023, tensions grew between Hemedti and Burhan over the integration of the RSF into the Sudanese Army, as the integration would heavily decrease RSF's independence and effectiveness. These tensions came to a head on 15 April, when RSF soldiers attacked SAF positions in Khartoum and Merowe.

Battles

2023

First battle (15–20 April)

Clashes erupted in El Fasher on 15 April, like many other cities across Sudan. The RSF claimed to have captured the El Fasher airport and several military sites in the city by 16 April, but this was unverifiable at the time. Twenty-seven people were injured in the first battles according to Chinese state media, and there were reports of casualties. By 17 April, hospitals in the city were receiving an overflow of patients, and most victims were being transferred to the police hospital. Deadly attacks took place in El Jama neighborhood as well. In Abu Shouk refugee camp and El Fasher, 11 people were killed and 90 were injured. In response, Governor Abdelrahman announced the creation of a burial committee to quell the clashes. Electricity was cut off in the city, and the main market and livestock market were both destroyed. The airport was closed as well. Civilians in El Fasher reported that RSF forces controlled El Manhal refugee camp and el-Ghaba neighborhood, while SAF controlled the General Command headquarters and neighborhoods around El Manhal and El Ghaba.

Reports surfaced on 18 April 31 Indian citizens stranded in El Fasher, prompting the Indian government to launch Operation Kaveri. Médecins Sans Frontières reported that 136 injured people were brought to their facilities in El Fasher, although it was becoming increasingly more difficult to treat them. The organization also claimed many of the wounded are civilians hit by stray bullets. Some civilians in the area, speaking to Al Jazeera, claimed that while both SAF and RSF forces took casualties, RSF had taken more. The witness also stated dozens of bodies were on the streets, unable to be picked up. One Indian citizen was killed by a stray bullet. MSF also claimed that by 21 April, over 44 people had been killed and 279 wounded. The Sudanese Doctor's Syndicate reported nine killed and 36 injured in the city at their hospitals. Both MSF and the SDS claimed there were not enough supplies to last three weeks.

Several hospitals were looted in the city, including the pediatric hospital. The Abu Shouk refugee camp, home to over 100,000 displaced people, was burnt to the ground by late April, along with the main market in El Fasher. Satellite images also revealed tanks and unknown forces residing in residential areas.

Ceasefire in effect (20 April – 12 May)

On 20 April, RSF and SAF commanders in El Fasher agreed to an three day ceasefire, brokered by the civilian Good Offices Committee. In the ceasefire, SAF would hold positions west of the city, and RSF would hold ones in the east, while the center of El Fasher would become demilitarized, only patrolled by police. Neighborhoods and international organization headquarters would become entrusted to rebel movements such as the remnants of JEM and SLA, both signatories of the Juba Peace Agreement. The truce was extended to be indefinite on 23 April.

The day of 24 April was calm, except for some small clashes in the north of the city. While civilian life returned to normal, prices and inflation skyrocketed, and goods were still scarce. The Um Defsoa market, one of the city's main markets, returned to normal, although the Jebel Marra market and Kutum markets were both too burnt to operate. The next day, prisoners from Shala Prison were released, except those with the death penalty, by an Arab militia. Some robberies took place on 24 April, killing four people total. The North Darfur Ministry of Health released a statement on 28 April stating 62 civilians were killed, including 13 children, and over 282 others were injured as a result of the clashes.

While the Abdelsalam Centre Hospital was able to reopen during the truce, the South Hospital was still in a dire situation. All hospitals were then able to reopen in the following days. By 4 May, Operation Kaveri had successfully ended, and the Indian government extracted all Indian nationals from the city. Minni Minnawi, governor of West Darfur, brought his troops back to El Fasher on 9 May after negotiations failed in Khartoum.

Sporadic clashes resume (12–29 May)

On 12 May, the ceasefire fell apart, and clashes renewed in El Fasher. RSF came under control of several neighborhoods, and in the center of the city, looting and extrajudicial killings became prevalent as money ran out and banks closed. On 14 May, groups and signatories of the Juba Agreement, along with all five governors of the Darfur states, created a "Joint Darfur Force" deploying troops in the city to hold the truce. The battle has had affected aid from getting to civilians. Clashes broke out again on 22 May, with shelling taking place in the eastern neighborhoods under control of the RSF. The clashes took place not long after the Joint Darfur Force returned to Khartoum. The battles died down over the next two days, as a nationwide ceasefire was set to come in effect. They restarted on 25 May in the same areas.

By 29 May, several parts of the city were either destroyed or burned. By 26 May, all roads to the main market in El Fasher were closed, and by 29 May, it had been destroyed. Renewed RSF attacks on the northern neighborhoods of El Fasher destroyed several buildings at the El Fasher University. Clashes also took place in Abu Shouk camp. The shelling on 29 May killed three civilians and injured 27 others. On 30 May, Minnawi called on civilians in El Fasher to pick up weapons against the RSF. By 1 June, El Fasher was relatively calm. The RSF had been forced to withdraw from several areas in the eastern neighborhoods, but still controlled much of them. Governor Nimir Abdelrahman stated that the Committee of Mediators and Elders and the Good Offices Committee had negotiated a ceasefire between the two sides.

Ceasefire and sporadic skirmishes (30 May – 26 October)

Despite the renewed peace after 29 May, facilities in the city were damaged during the battle. Hospitals, power, and communications were all down in the city, and fuel prices were exorbitantly high. An influx of refugees made their way to El Fasher from Tawila, Kutum and the Kassab refugee camp, which the RSF captured in early June. On 7 June, a commander of the SAF's 6th division defected to the RSF. El Fasher was quiet for most of June, although reinforcements were being brought in from both sides in late June. On 22 June, a skirmish between the RSF and SAF killed one person and injured seven others. Repeated armed robberies forced the El Fasher livestock market to close on 27 June. Sexual violence and rape cases also skyrocketed amidst the ceasefire, especially in Zamzam refugee camp. Governor Abdelrahman in late June also lauded efforts by the Committee of Mediators and Elders for holding up the ceasefire in El Fasher, and facilitating the arrival of refugees from Kutum and Tawila.

By July, the SAF were in full control of El Fasher, and most markets and public places were closed. The city is dependent on aid from Khartoum, and roads in and out of the city are partially blocked, with armed gangs and robberies prevalent. The South Hospital in El Fasher was running on meager supplies. The livestock market in El Fasher was also completely out of livestock, destabilizing the already-fragile economy. As a result of the crippled economy, banditry became common in El Fasher, including on the houses of important officials. Flooding in July exacerbated the poverty in El Fasher, as workers attempting to fix a power station in RSF-controlled territory were intimidated by RSF forces. Despite the situation and heavy flooding, around 600,000 refugees still sought refuge in El Fasher due to the lull in fighting. By September, much of El Fasher had little to no access to water.

On 18 August, clashes broke out again in the eastern part of the city, the first time since 30 May. The renewed clashes broke out between the RSF and the Sudan Liberation Movement – El Foka, under the control of El Sadig El Foka. The Joint Darfur Force stayed relatively silent on the outbreak in clashes, declaring they would only protect the road connecting El Fasher to Kufra, Libya. By 19 August, the clashes had dispersed. An 23 August skirmish at the Um Defesu market in El Fasher between policemen and "rebel fighters" injured four rebels.

By late August, the northern and eastern parts of the city were controlled by the RSF, and the southern SAF-controlled neighborhoods hosted most of the refugees. The RSF-controlled neighborhoods, in particular El Tadamon, also faced a severe humanitarian crisis, with no drinkable water and little to no facilities. In the battles on 23 August, many SAF soldiers were wounded. On 5 September, a man was shot in El Fasher by unknown gunmen. The city was otherwise largely calm, except for an attempted break-in into the Grand Market by RSF militants that was stopped by the JDF. Fighting broke out between the SAF and RSF on 10 September, lasting for six hours around the base of the 6th division. 190 families living in the North Hilla and Ziyadia neighborhoods surrounding the base were displaced, and thirty people were killed and forty-two others were wounded.

During the rainy season in September, thousands of refugees who fled to El Fasher fled to territory controlled by Sudan Liberation Army – Abdelwahid el-Nur, including the Jebel Marra mountains and surrounding towns. Refugees from Kalma camp in El Fasher lost everything as their homes were flooded. Many of the hospitals in the El Fasher area saw a spike in malaria and dengue fever outbreaks, due to a lack of drinkable water and the rains. The health facilities in the city, worn down by the battles, struggled to keep up with the cases. The El Fasher Teaching Hospital was forced to close due to the 11 September clash, and was being used as a military barracks. Despite this, RSF militants continued raids on civilian homes in the city.

Tensions for a larger battle (26 October–November)

The RSF launched a massive attack on the 6th Infantry Division in El Fasher on 26 October, the same day they captured Nyala and Zalingei. Both the SAF and RSF gave conflicting accounts of the battle, with the former claiming to have repelled the attack and the latter claiming to have captured the entirety of the base. The El Fasher Resistance Committee stated one person was killed and several others were injured. This toll later rose to at least ten killed and forty-two others injured. This fighting continued on 31 October, with several houses being damaged. Governors Abdelrahman and Minnawi both called on the RSF and SAF to prevent large-scale fighting in the city on 1 November as well, as the fall of Nyala and Zalingei made El Fasher the last non-RSF controlled city in Darfur, and therefore a target for the RSF. The United States released a statement echoing Minnawi and Abdelrahman's.

One person was killed in renewed fighting in the city on 2 November, and a new spate of refugees from the north fled to the southern part of the city. As the markets were closed since the beginning of the renewed clashes, many families were left without food. On 6 November, Babikir Musa, a senior commander in Minnawi's faction of SLA was killed in the village of Shaqra while defending it from the RSF. Two others were injured as well. Fighting largely ended on 8 November. Abdel Rahman Jumma, the RSF commander who captured El Geneina, called on the RSF to capture El Fasher as well, exacerbating tensions. Along with this, El Fasher residents accused Minnawi of only protecting Zaghawa-majority neighborhoods in the city, of which he is a member.

By mid-November, rumors spread of the RSF massing troops outside the city in preparation for an offensive. Civilians were extremely nervous in fear of an attack. In defense of the city, SLM – el-Nur and the Sudan Justice and Equality Forces arrived in the city to meet with El Sadig El Foka, the commander of his faction of the SLM, and members of the JDF in coordination with stopping an RSF attack. Justice and Equality Movement leader Gibril Ibrahim and SLA-Tambour commander Mustafa Tambour had earlier stated their plan to back the JDF in case of an RSF attack. SLM – el-Nur released a statement stating that this backing was not in defense of the Sudanese Army, instead of the JDF.

Despite the loose alliance between almost all rebel groups, RSF commander Abdelrahim Dagalo expressed intent to capture El Fasher. Analysts stated that an RSF attack on El Fasher would cause an ethnic conflict between the Arab tribes and Zaghawa militias. GSLF forces amassed more troops in the town with the JDF in early December, despite commander el-Tahir Hajar's insistence on neutrality. Leader of the SLM-Transitional Council, El Hadi Idris, stated that his group began talks in November with the RSF over preventing an attack in the city, with the latter claiming that the only way to prevent an attack was the insistence of the JDF's neutrality in the conflict.

2024

RSF offensive (13 April 2024–present)

On 13 April 2024, an offensive by the Rapid Support Forces began in El Fasher. At the start of May, there were reports that the RSF had surrounded El Fasher and was blocking all roads into the city.

On 10 May, the MSF said the South Hospital had recorded 134 deaths from 979 patients treated at the hospital during the previous two weeks. On 26 May, BBC reported that the Saudi and the South hospitals were the only ones functioning in the region.

Also on 26 May, the RSF captured the Golo reservoir and its pumping station and shut off water supplies to El Fasher. On 27 May, the JDF retook it.

On 1 June, fighting reintensified in El-Fasher as the RSF shelled several residential areas and causing the most damage to structures in the Birinja and Al-Wahda neighborhoods, while the SAF conducted airstrikes. The Sayed Al-Shuhada Medical Center said it received 11 bodies and 42 patients as a result of the RSF shelling.

On 11 June, U.S Special Envoy to Sudan Tom Perriello warned that the fall of El Fasher to RSF forces may be imminent, that a humanitarian disaster could unfold and that the battle must be paused.

On June 13, United Nations Security Council Resolution 2736 was adopted demanding an end to the siege of the city.

On June 14, 2024, Sudanese armed forces killed Ali Yaqoub Gibril, commander of the Rapid Support Forces in Darfur.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:El Fasher
Battles of the Sudanese civil war (2023–present)
Battles involving Sudan
April 2023 events in Sudan
El Fasher, Battle of