For some months now, fears have been raised about the plight of hundreds of thousands of people trapped inside the North Darfur city of El Fasher in Sudan, as rebel paramilitaries, the Rapid Support Forces have surrounded it. This is part of a civil war which has gripped Sudan since April 2023, causing a huge humanitarian crisis.

The fall of El Fasher

Then it was reported on 27 October that the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces said it had captured El Fasher, having besieged it for more than a year in the country’s civil war. Consequently, fears were growing for hundreds of thousands of civilians trapped in the city.

The group announced the previous day, that it had “seized control of the army’s main base in the city in Darfur, where famine was declared in a displacement camp last year”. It then released a statement saying it had “extended control over the city of El Fasher from the grip of mercenaries and militias”.

By way of response, a local pro-army militia, the Popular Resistance, asserted that the army was in “more fortified positions” and that residents were still “resisting in the face of terrorist militias”.

UN concerns

It was further reported that UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher had said: “With fighters pushing further into the city and escape routes cut off, hundreds of thousands of civilians are trapped and terrified – shelled, starving, and without access to healthcare, food, or safety,” before going on to describe El Fasher as being “at breaking point”.

Fletcher was also reported as saying this on social media: “Ceasefire now, in El Fasher, in Darfur and throughout Sudan.”

Later on 27 October, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was reported as warning of a “terrible escalation”, saying the humanitarian situation in Sudan had become “unbearable”.

Guterres, speaking to reporters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, was also said to have “urged all countries that are interfering in the conflict and those “providing weapons to the parties to the war” to stop undermining efforts to reach a ceasefire”.

Reports of mass killings in El Fasher

The news of the surrender of El Fasher to RSF troops was quickly followed on 28October by “reports of ethnically motivated mass killings and other atrocities” emerging from El Fasher after the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces took control of the city in Sudan’s western Darfur region over the weekend.

A fighter who has become notorious for executing civilians in RSF-controlled areas has been filmed on a chilling video released by local activists, shooting a group of unarmed civilians sitting on the ground at point-blank range.

Pro-democracy activists were said to have shared unverified footage, showing dozens of people lying dead on the ground alongside burnt-out vehicles.

It was also noted that in a statement on 28 October, “the Joint Forces – who are allied with Sudan’s army – accused the RSF of having executed more than 2,000 unarmed civilians in recent days”.

This is deeply distressing. Please don’t look away

I asked two Newcastle-based Sudanese for their thoughts on the latest heartbreaking tragedy in Sudan. This is what they told me…

Mohamed Nasreldin: “This is a deeply distressing development. The reports of famine, indiscriminate shelling, and the collapse of access to healthcare and food paint a picture of unimaginable suffering. The international community must act urgently, not just with aid, but with diplomatic pressure to enforce a ceasefire and protect civilians.

“It is imperative now to implement the Quartet Agreement reached by the USA, UAE, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia, which calls for an immediate three-month humanitarian truce. This roadmap offers a viable path out of the crisis and must be enforced without delay. The voices of those trapped in El Fasher must not be ignored. Solidarity with the people of Sudan is more critical than ever”.

Isra Mohammed: “What’s happening in El Fasher, Sudan, is absolutely devastating. The RSF are targeting civilians and committing brutal massacres, a horrific reality that’s being ignored and forgotten by much of the mainstream media. We must continue to amplify Sudanese voices and shed light on this ongoing tragedy.

“The RSF must be held accountable for their crimes against humanity and face serious punishment for their actions. My heart breaks for my fellow Sudanese people, I feel completely helpless watching this unfold. I will continue to pray for Sudan and hope more people will speak up, share what’s happening, and check in on their Sudanese friends and families.

“Silence in the face of genocide is complicity. Please don’t look away”.

UK military equipment “found on battlefields in Sudan”

It has also been suggested that documents seen by the UN security council, suggest that British military equipment has been found on battlefields in Sudan, used by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group accused of genocide.

How you can help

Avaaz is asking people to email the Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and make the following points:

“Thank you for highlighting the plight of people across Sudan during your first week as Foreign Secretary.

“The people in El Fasher, Darfur, cannot wait – fighters are advancing, the city may fall any moment, and experts fear mass atrocities when that happens.

“Diplomatic pressure on the United Arab Emirates who are backing the fighters of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has helped prevent a massacre before. I urge you to use your power, now.”

“Please pick up the phone to your UAE counterpart, demand safe, voluntary passage for civilians as well as humanitarian access, and make it clear that the UK will be watching closely what the RSF is doing in El Fasher (with the support of the UAE).”

To find other ways you can help the people of Sudan see here and here.

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