Where is Sudan? A Country at the Crossroads of Africa
El Fasher, a city in Sudan, is located in north-east Africa, making it one of the largest countries on the continent with a vast land area of 1.9 million square kilometres (734,000 square miles). Its size and geography have long given it strategic importance, as it shares borders with seven countries—Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Central African Republic, Chad, and Libya—as well as the Red Sea.
One of Sudan’s most vital lifelines is the River Nile, which flows through the country and has historically made it attractive to foreign powers due to its control of water resources and trade routes.
What Triggered Sudan’s Civil War?
Fall of Omar al-Bashir: The roots of Sudan’s ongoing civil war trace back to the ouster of long-time ruler Omar al-Bashir in 2019. Bashir, who seized power in a 1989 coup, had ruled for nearly three decades with an iron grip. His downfall came after months of mass street protests demanding an end to corruption, repression, and economic hardship. Under pressure, the army removed him in April 2019.
From hope to another coup: In the wake of Bashir’s fall, Sudan established a joint military-civilian government, a fragile power-sharing deal meant to lead the country toward elections and democratic reform. However, tensions grew between the military and civilian leaders. In October 2021, another coup shattered these hopes. The takeover was led by two powerful generals:
- Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and effectively the president.
- Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, widely known as Hemedti, the commander of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Power struggles between Burhan and Hemedti: At the heart of the conflict lay disputes between Burhan and Hemedti. Both men wanted to retain power, wealth, and influence. A key sticking point was the proposed integration of the 100,000-strong RSF into the national army. The question of who would lead the new unified force deepened divisions.
A City Enclosed by Earthen Walls
Satellite imagery reveals that paramilitary forces—the Rapid Support Forces (RSF)—have constructed an earthen barrier around El Fasher, effectively entrenching the city under siege. This embankment appears specifically designed to contain the population within and prevent humanitarian corridors from forming. The barrier has been under construction since May and is situated in territory occupied by the RSF just outside the city boundaries.
The Grim Toll on Children: El Fasher as “An Epicentre of Child Suffering”
According to UNICEF, roughly 260,000 people remain trapped in El Fasher—about half are children. Of these, some 6,000 suffer from severe acute malnutrition, putting them at imminent risk of death. UNICEF warns that El Fasher has become “an epicentre of child suffering”—a tragic symbol of the worsening humanitarian crisis.
From Space: Documenting Atrocities and Siege Conditions
Researchers at Yale University’s Humanitarian Research Lab have been monitoring the siege using satellite imagery. Their grim message: “We watch the graveyards from space.” For more than a year, continuous bombardment, starvation, and mounting civilian deaths have been mapped in detail. The siege—now stretching over 500 days—has effectively suffocated El Fasher.
A City Starved, Under Bombardment, Cut Off
Civilians in El Fasher face unrelenting shelling with practically no access to food or supplies. Major supply routes are blocked, with only one narrow RSF-controlled entry point where people have been robbed or killed. Food smuggling is extraordinarily dangerous; when available, prices are astronomical—flour sells for as much as $50 per kilogram—and many families resort to eating animal fodder. Malnutrition is rampant.
Displacement, Famine, and Disease in Darfur’s Forgotten Stronghold
El Fasher has become a final refuge for ethnic minorities—Massalit, Fur, Berti, Zaghawa—displaced by earlier campaigns of ethnic cleansing. The RSF’s tightening grip threatens to finalize a long-standing project of displacement and marginalization in Darfur. Meanwhile, the humanitarian response remains severely underfunded as famine, cholera, and mass malnutrition spread.
Political Stakes: Darfur’s Fate Hangs in the Balance
El Fasher isn’t merely a battleground—it’s symbolic. Its fall would give the RSF control over all three Darfur provinces and allow them to dictate Sudan’s future. Analysts warn that the siege transcends the ongoing civil war, embodying systemic efforts to dominate Darfur’s indigenous populations.
The International Response—or Lack Thereof
Despite repeated warnings—including discreet briefings to the UN Security Council, U.S. State Department, and UK Foreign Office—the global reaction has been muted. Aid groups like Médecins Sans Frontières are bracing for mass casualties. Yale’s team laments how they’ve become the world’s “most accurate public warning system of genocide,” regretting that this reflects the failure of global civilian protection mechanisms since Rwanda and Srebrenica.
Urgent Calls for Humanitarian Access and Ceasefire
UNICEF demands an immediate humanitarian pause and safe passage for aid delivery—food, medicine, water. Blocking relief is a grave violation of children’s rights. Without international intervention, El Fasher may descend into full-scale genocide.
