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Sudan’s el-Fasher has symbolism that hasn’t died
El-Fasher has a special place in the consciousness of many Sudanese people. For them, it is more than the capital of North Darfur State in western Sudan.
It is deeply rooted, historically and culturally, in the national identity.
Between its first fall in 1916 at the hands of British forces and its second fall in October to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group, el-Fasher stands out as a spiritual, political and social centre.
Historical roots and symbol of resistance
Since the era of Sultan Ali Dinar (1898-1916), el-Fasher had been a hub for knowledge, religious education and spiritual heritage. It was a place where the Kiswa, the black cloth that covers the Kaaba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, was made.
Many researchers of Sudanese heritage argue that after the end of the sultanate, the city’s spiritual dimension continued to shape the collective consciousness of the inhabitants of Darfur.
The city and Ali Dinar became symbols of national steadfastness and resistance after the British occupied el-Fasher in November 1916 as part of their colonial strategy to redraw the political map of the region.
Ali Dinar organised the resistance against the British, but Britain brought an end to the independent Darfur Sultanate and forced its integration into the modern Sudanese state, which was shaped according to the interests of colonial powers.
Spirit of resistance
More than a century after that historic fall, el-Fasher fell again, this time to the RSF, which, according to local reports and Sudanese government officials, pointed to foreign intervention in support of the paramilitary.
The RSF had besieged the city for more than 18 months. Tens of thousands of people were displaced, and according to the Sudan Doctors Network, at least 1,500 people were killed in 48 hours after the RSF took control of el-Fasher.
A threatened social fabric
The city has been distinguished by its tribal and cultural diversity, seen for decades as a model of coexistence in Darfur. However, the war has caused deep fractures as warnings are issued of forced demographic change that threatens the city’s historical social balance.
“Tribal affiliations have begun to be used as tools in the conflict, leading to a partial breakdown of traditional relationships that underpinned coexistence in el-Fasher,” Hussein Adam, a researcher in sociology and a doctoral candidate at Bursa University in Turkiye, told Al Jazeera.
“Population shifts caused by displacement and forced migration have begun to disrupt the social structure, potentially reshaping the city’s identity in unpredictable ways,” Adam said, adding that “ignoring the social dimension in any political settlement may lead to future conflicts of greater complexity”.
For many, the fall of el-Fasher has caused bitterness, but it has also invoked a sense of resilience and hope.
“After this fall, the shelling may stop temporarily, but the wounds remain,” Sheikh Abdul Rahim Adam, an imam who fled to West Darfur, told Al Jazeera.
“Despite the suffering, our memory remains alive with our mosques and Quran schools, and we will return to protect our heritage,” he said.
“The city will soon be liberated from the grip of the [RSF], and we will continue educating our children,’’ Fatima Abdul Karim, a teacher displaced to the Kurma area west of el-Fasher, told Al Jazeera.
‘’This city is … identity and dignity. I saw our schools turn into military barracks, but we will rebuild them soon.”
Need for recovery
The war caused economic paralysis in el-Fasher, and its bustling markets became semi-abandoned places. Traders stopped coming from other parts of Sudan, leading to skyrocketing prices and a scarcity of basic goods.
Sudanese history researcher Ibrahim Saeed Abkar believes that Sudan’s recovery depends on restoring its collective memory and acknowledging the historical roles of cities like el-Fasher.
Abkar added that the resistance of Ali Dinar represents a model of civilisational resilience, which could inspire reconstruction efforts if peace is achieved in the region.
Many observers are calling for an end to the fighting and the start of community dialogue before any political settlement, stressing that repairing the social fabric is no less important than physical reconstruction or political solutions.
They emphasised that recovery requires addressing the psychological and social wounds left by the war.
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Kym Marsh sex scenes in new show so raunchy they were axed
Kym Marsh has opened up about her challenging new role in Channel 5 drama The Imposter as she confessed that her sex scenes were too raunchy to make it to the screen
Kym Marsh filmed scenes for her new show that were so raunchy it had to be axed. The actress, 49, is starring in the new Channel 5 drama The Imposter, and had to film a series of sex scenes that ended up being so risqué they were ultimately axed from the show.
The series sees Kym star as the long-lost daughter of a hotel owner who appears in the midst of a family dispute over a lucrative seaside hotel. The character, Amanda, is integral to the four-part series which provides a mixture of suspense, betrayal, and murder.
The children of the scheming matriarch, Helen, go to war in the series and the consequences are quite literally deadly. Amanda is seen as a seductive femme fatale – something which Kym said she loved bringing to life in the character.
Talking about the role Kym told The Sun on Sunday: “Episode two was particularly raunchy. It’s the flashback to London where she first meets her Australian lover.
“There was quite a lot of stuff that I believe they’ve had to tone down. I spoke to the executive working on it and he said, ‘Hey, you did it so convincingly’, and I was like . . . thanks.”
She added: “I’ve done a few things on stage but they are very tame in comparison to this role. The crew and the cast were so respectful, and the director was brilliant. Everyone just made you feel very safe and obviously we had an intimacy co-ordinator on set.
“But you know what? I went into it and I was a bit like, ‘I’m 49 years old, I’m not as body confident as I used to be’ because as you get older, you’ve got that kind of thing going on. And I’m on screen kind of barely dressed. There was a little bit of nerves, but honestly, as soon as I set foot on set, I was totally relaxed because they really made me feel so much better about everything.”
Speaking to The Mirror earlier this month Kym admitted that jetting to Australia for the project was pretty daunting. She said: “It was my first time over there and I was a little bit nervous.
“I am a 49-year-old woman, but it was the furthest I’d ever gone before alone. I was all by myself flying off for six weeks without any of my family but they very quickly put me at ease. It felt like I had known everybody forever.”
She also spoke about co-star Dannii Minogue adding: “I literally crossed paths with Dannii once on camera. But I did meet her, and I had a lovely time with her. She was very, very nice. Very, very, nice human being. Very wonderful, very warm, and friendly, which was great. She was great on set with everybody,”
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The Imposter airs on Channel 5 on Monday, December 15.
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Ex-Arsenal defender Tomiyasu set to join Ajax
Former Arsenal defender Takehiro Tomiyasu is set to join Dutch giants Ajax on a short-term deal until the end of the season.
The Japan international is scheduled to undergo a medical on Tuesday.
BBC Sport revealed in July that Tomiyasu and Arsenal had reached a mutual agreement to terminate the versatile defender’s contract a year early, making him a free agent.
Arsenal signed defenders Piero Hincapie and Cristhian Mosquera in the summer, meaning Tomiyasu’s first team opportunities would be limited.
The 27-year-old has been completing a rehabilitation programme following knee surgery in February, but is now back training and poised to restart his career in Amsterdam, provided he passes a medical.
Sources have indicated his agreement with Ajax does not include an extension option.
Tomiyasu, who joined Arsenal from Bologna in 2021, made 84 appearances for the Gunners. His final game for the club was in October 2024 in a 3-1 win over Southampton.
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