By establishing full control over this strategic military base, an RSF spokesperson claimed in a statement on Sunday that its forces “managed to liberate the 6th Division in El Fasher, breaking the back of the army and its allies.” He described the development as a significant turning point and “a step on the way to establishing a new state that all Sudanese will support in order to achieve their aspirations for freedom, peace, and justice.”
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The RSF posted a video of its soldiers cheering in front of a sign for the Sixth Infantry Base of the SAF. The location and date were not determined by the Reuters news agency.
According to Hiba Morgan, who reports from Khartoum and Al Jazeera, “the takeover of the base… occurred after days of intense fighting.”
El-Fasher has been under the control of the RSF for the past 18 months as it fights former rebels and local fighters from the Sudanese army. The siege has caused acute suffering and starvation in the city, where 250, 000 people are still under fire, while frequently attacking civilians with drone and artillery.
SAF did not immediately address its current position.
According to Morgan, the army had trouble resupplying and reinforcing its soldiers and forces at the military base because of the siege, adding that there are layers to the unfolding situation.
The forces themselves were not present inside the base itself, according to Morgan, “what we understand from military sources is that despite the fact that the RSF has taken control of the army division there.”
They had left the city and had established themselves there, so technically, while the RSF does not have complete control over the old city of El-Fasher, it does not have full control over the city itself.
The RSF would benefit from having el-Fasher captured as a significant military and political victory, and it would also help the paramilitary group consolidate its hold on the vast Darfur region, which it has identified as the home base for a parallel government set up this summer.
Following the capture of the Zamzam camp in the south, activists have long warned that an RSF takeover of the city would also cause ethnic attacks.
The RSF claimed last week that it was facilitating the surrender of fighters from El-Fasher to civilians, but those who have since reported robberies, sexual assaults, and killings by RSF soldiers on the way.
According to a UN-mandated mission, the RSF had committed numerous crimes against humanity while el-Fasher was under the siege. SAF has also been accused of committing atrocities.
Four UN agencies issued a warning this week that despite their continued food and healthcare cuts, thousands of children are facing imminent death.
This week, Radhouane Nouicer, a UN expert, expressed concern about an increase in drone attacks from both sides. Six workers were hurt and power was out of the six as a result of RSF attacks on power infrastructure on Tuesday.
RSF drones targeted Khartoum International Airport for a fourth day in a row on Friday, which the army had hoped would reopen following its retake of the capital in March. As a result, the reopening has been postponed.
The conflict, which started in April 2023, has caused the most humanitarian crisis in history, leaving 30 million people without access to aid and tens of thousands of people dead.
Source: Aljazeera
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