Sudan’s civil war has escalated significantly, with El Fasher, the last stronghold of Sudanese government forces in North Darfur, falling into the hands of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a militia reportedly backed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
RSF’s occupation of El Fasher on Sunday added to a new wave of civilian killings, looting and displacement, with tens of thousands of people killed, 12 million displaced and 30 million in urgent need of humanitarian assistance since the conflict began in April 2023.
More than 1,200 civilians were killed within 24 hours of the RSF advance, according to a Monday report by the Sudanese Doctors Network and Local Resistance Committees.
Many of these victims were executed at home or while on the run. Medical facilities were looted and essential supplies stripped.
RSF attacks reportedly killed at least 47 people, including nine women, near Bara in North Kordofan province, amid abductions and rampant looting.
Chilling video footage circulating online shows RSF convoys chasing terrified civilians, many of them from Nubian and Fur tribe communities.
Combatants shout racial slurs such as “Kill you nubs” and others mock the corpses. In one video, a man identified as Brigadier General al-Fatih Abdallah ‘Issa Abu Lulu’ Idris is seen taunting a prisoner before being executed at point-blank range as his body lies.
These videos, which have emerged despite widespread communications failures, depict a systematic pattern of humiliation and ethnic targeting rather than isolated incidents.
Running away offers little protection. The earthworks built by the RSF to trap the military are now gathering civilians into the killing zone.
Journalists have also been targeted, with at least six killed in recent days, including a missing Al Jazeera correspondent.
UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher warned that El Fasher was “reaching breaking point” and called for safe passage and unimpeded access to aid.
Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the escalation, called on foreign actors supplying weapons to stop interference, and called for an immediate ceasefire across Sudan.
Sudanese officials have dismissed the RSF’s victory as “psychological warfare,” but analysts warn it could strengthen the group’s grip on Darfur, leading to further attacks and escalating ethnic tensions.
There are growing calls for an investigation into RSF atrocities, but civilians are at risk due to limited humanitarian access.
For the civilians trapped in El Fasher, the human cost remains immediate, devastating, and a stark reminder of the brutality of war, including mothers protecting their children and elderly people collapsing while fleeing.