The United Nations has appealed for an urgent ceasefire and humanitarian access in Sudan’s El-Fasher, where intense clashes between the army and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have left hundreds of thousands trapped and desperate.
The plea follows reports that RSF fighters seized control of the Sudanese army’s key military base in the city, the last government foothold in North Darfur.
UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher said the worsening violence has created an “unbearable” situation for civilians who are running out of food and medical supplies.
“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 food, healthcare, or safety,” Fletcher said, calling for an immediate halt to the fighting.
He urged both warring sides to open humanitarian corridors and protect civilians. “Ceasefire now, in El-Fasher, in Darfur and throughout Sudan. Civilians must be allowed safe passage and be able to access aid. Those fleeing to safer areas must be able to do so safely and in dignity,” he said, stressing that assaults on hospitals and aid workers must end.
City under siege
El-Fasher has endured an 18-month siege that has cut off essential supplies and displaced thousands. Videos circulating online show RSF fighters inside what they describe as the army’s 6th Division headquarters, though the military insists it is still resisting in several parts of the city.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres, speaking during a summit in Kuala Lumpur, called on world powers to halt arms supplies to the warring factions. He warned that foreign interference was worsening Sudan’s civil war and undermining peace efforts.
The RSF, in a statement, celebrated what it described as a “major victory” against government forces. “Today, Sunday, October 26, 2025, the valiant heroes of the Rapid Support Forces have inscribed a new victory…breaking the backbone of the Army of the Islamic Movement terrorists and the mercenary hireling movements by taking full control of this strategic military division,” the group said.
The group claimed it had destroyed military equipment, killed thousands of troops, and was determined to end what it called “the remnants of the Islamic Movement.” It pledged to form a “New Sudan founded on the principles of freedom, justice and equality,” while working with local authorities under its “Tasis government” to protect residents and restore order.
However, Sudan’s Information Minister Khaled al-Aisir dismissed the RSF’s claims as “psychological warfare,” saying government forces were still fighting back and regaining ground. Darfur governor Minni Minnawi, an ally of the army, also urged protection of civilians and demanded an independent investigation into reports of RSF abuses.
Mounting humanitarian toll
El-Fasher, home to nearly 250,000 civilians, has become the centre of a growing humanitarian disaster. Aid groups report that residents are surviving without food, clean water, or medical care as fighting closes all escape routes.
Earlier this month, MedGlobal warned that the city was “on the brink of collapse” after a prolonged siege marked by starvation and disease outbreaks.
The conflict, which began in April 2023, has killed tens of thousands and forced millions from their homes. According to UN figures, around 30 million people across Sudan now depend on aid.
While the RSF holds large parts of Darfur and Kordofan, the army remains entrenched in the north and east, making El-Fasher the latest and most critical flashpoint in Sudan’s devastating war.
