Global outrage and online solidarity are building around Al Fasher city, the capital of North Darfur state in western Sudan, amid reports of atrocities by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Slogans such as “Al Fasher drenched in blood” and “Save Al Fasher” have dominated media coverage and social media platforms across the Arab world, as public figures and rights groups joined mounting calls demanding an end to the RSF-led siege on the city.
Chairman of Sudan’s Transitional Sovereignty Council Abdel Fattah al Burhan confirmed on Monday that army forces had withdrawn from the city to prevent further “systematic destruction and killing” of civilians by the RSF.
The city, which serves as a hub for humanitarian operations for all five Darfur states, has already been under siege by the rebel group since May 2024.
The Sudanese Foreign Ministry strongly denounced “the horrific terrorist crimes committed by the RSF militia” in Al Fasher.
“The militia has carried out, and continues to carry out, acts of ethnically motivated killing and systematic terror against unarmed civilians, including women, children, and the elderly, in shocking scenes proudly and shamelessly documented by the perpetrators themselves, revealing their criminal nature that thrives on bloodshed and terrorism,” the ministry said in a statement.
It blamed the international community’s silence and inaction towards the RSF atrocities for the escalating crisis, despite repeated appeals by the Sudanese government.
“The politicisation of the Sudanese crisis and the bias of certain states in pursuit of their narrow political and economic interests – rather than adopting a moral and humanitarian stance – has directly contributed to the massacre in Al Fasher,” the ministry added.
EU concerned
The European Union also voiced grave concern over the surge in violence in the Darfur region, urging all parties to ensure humanitarian access and accountability for violations.
"The EU is incredibly concerned about the uptick in violence in Darfur," European Commission spokesperson Anouar El Anouni said at a midday press briefing in Brussels.
Belgium condemns RSF assault
Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot condemned the ongoing assault by the RSF in Al Fasher, Sudan, calling the situation "appalling."
"Civilians are paying an unbearable price. These atrocities must stop now," he wrote on US social media platform X. He urged respect for international humanitarian law and called on all parties to protect civilians and allow immediate humanitarian access.
Germany calls for an immediate end of killing
Germany on Tuesday urged an immediate end to "killings, rape, and torture" in Sudan after RSF took control of the western Sudanese city of Al Fasher, the capital of the North Darfur region.
“As RSF fighters control large parts of Al Fasher, Sudan, we urge those responsible to stop all violence against civilians trapped in the city. Killings, rape & torture must end now,” the German Foreign Ministry said on US social media company X.
UN refugee agency warns of worsening crisis
The UN refugee agency UNHCR warned on Tuesday that escalating violence in Al Fasher, the capital of Sudan's North Darfur region, has forced thousands to flee while many others remain trapped amid brutal fighting.
"Reports indicate that the Rapid Support Forces have moved into the city, triggering widespread fear among families who have survived 500 days of relentless siege and conflict," said Jacqueline Wilma Parlevliet, UNHCR's head of sub-office in Port Sudan, speaking to reporters in Geneva.
Ethnic killings
The Sudan Doctors Network, a local medical group, said that six medical personnel have been kidnapped by the paramilitary group.
"The RSF reportedly extorted their families, demanding a ransom of 100 million Sudanese pounds for each doctor in exchange for their release," it said in a statement.
The group stressed that “targeting doctors is a crime that cannot be tolerated,” holding the RSF fully responsible for the lives of kidnapped medics and for the “organised criminal act aimed at destroying what remains of the healthcare system in Darfur and intimidating humanitarian workers.”
“The abduction and forced disappearance of medical personnel by the RSF, along with the demand for ransom, is a grave violation of all international and humanitarian laws that protect medical workers in conflict zones, safeguard their rights, and criminalise any harm inflicted upon them,” it added.
'Heinous crimes against civilians'
On Monday, the network accused the RSF of ethnic cleansing by killing unarmed civilians on ethnic grounds.
The Joint Force of Armed Struggle Movements (JSAMF), a coalition of various groups from the Darfur region, accused the RSF of killing over 2,000 besieged citizens, mostly women, children, and the elderly in Al Fasher on October 26 and 27.
The coalition condemned “heinous crimes against civilians” and called on the international community, the UN Security Council, and international legal organisations to designate the RSF as a terrorist organisation and hold its members accountable.
Idris Laqma, a leader in the Justice and Equality Movement, told the Saudi TV channel Al-Hadath that “more than 1,500 people have been killed in identity-based killings carried out by RSF forces in Al Fasher."
Since April 15, 2023, the army and the RSF have been locked in a war that numerous regional and international mediations have failed to end. The conflict has killed about 20,000 people and displaced over 15 million as refugees and internally displaced persons, according to UN and local reports.
