Grave fears are mounting for the civilian population of el-Fasher, Sudan, following the complete capture of the city by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The fate of over a quarter-million civilians in El Fasher is now hanging in the balance following the withdrawal of the Sudanese army and the complete takeover of the city by the RSF. The Sudanese army chief, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, confirmed the retreat late Monday, saying his soldiers had withdrawn to spare the civilian population from “systemic destruction” and “systemic killing” by the RSF.

Aid and medical volunteer groups on the ground, like the Sudan Doctors Network, have accused the RSF of carrying out a “heinous massacre” against unarmed residents. An estimated 260,000 people, over half of them children, were trapped in El Fasher before the final assault. For months, they have been cut off from life-saving aid and have faced severe malnutrition. Initial reports, extremely difficult to verify due to a near-total communications blackout, suggest that dozens of civilians were killed on Sunday alone. Food and everything edible is gone, and the community kitchens, or takayas, that once fed the hungry have closed their doors. Volunteers say hunger and violence now claim lives daily, while constant bombardment has left cemeteries unreachable and the dead lying unburied in the streets. Many attempting to flee the city were reportedly shot, with video evidence circulating of unarmed men being executed at point-blank range by RSF fighters. 

Sudan 🇸🇩 URGENT: reports are coming in of civilians being killed by the RSF as they flee the city of El Fasher.

A video has surfaced of RSF militants chasing & shooting at civilians outside of the city, with one militant saying "kill the Nuba" by which he means "kill the blacks" pic.twitter.com/hhFR5CP0kc

— Thomas van Linge (@ThomasVLinge) October 27, 2025

The UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, described the situation as “terrifying,” stating that civilians remain “trapped and terrified — shelled, starving, and without access to food, healthcare or safety.” The fighting has forced over 26,000 people to flee the city since Sunday, many risking their lives to reach the nearby town of Tawila, where medical facilities are already overwhelmed.

This is just a glimpse of what’s happening in El Fasher. Girls are running for their lives from UAE-RSF terrorists who are chasing them & shouting to catch the girls ahead to rape & torture them. This is what we’re dealing with, terrorists who are armed & equipped by the UAE. https://t.co/evyrr4FdGD

— Saroyah♡ྀི🎀 (@saroyahx) October 27, 2025

The RSF has historical ties to the notorious Janjaweed militia, which was accused of genocide in Darfur two decades ago, compounding the fears of non-Arab communities, who are again reportedly being targeted. The capture of El Fasher, the last major SAF bastion in western Sudan and a vital humanitarian hub, is considered a strategic victory for the RSF, which is now poised to control all five Darfur state capitals. The loss could pave the way for a de facto partition of Sudan, with the RSF dominating the west and the SAF entrenched along the Nile and eastern coast.