In Western Sudan, the Rapid Support Forces (R.S.F.) have seized the army’s headquarters in El Fasher. According to the New York Times, the R.S.F. said it seized the Sixth Division Headquarters of the Sudanese Army in El Fasher, which is the group’s last major barrier to controlling the western region of Darfur. The city of Darfur holds an estimated 260,000 people, with this capture by the R.S.F. leading to the withdrawal of both the Sudanese Army and Darfuri militias. What is not entirely clear is whether the R.S.F. is going to exercise complete control of the city. There are continued reports of ongoing fighting within the city, with an official reporting that the situation in Darfur is fluid. For over a year, both American and other officials have been warning of a potential massacre if the city fell to the R.S.F.. There is fear that this will lead to a repeat of the ethnic slaughter in El Geneina, another city in Darfur, where up to 15,000 civilians were killed in 2023, according to the United Nations. The R.S.F. is supplied mostly in terms of weaponry by the United Arab Emirates, which is its main foreign sponsor, and also by neighboring countries, which include Chad, Libya, and Ethiopia, according to The New York Times.  

This conflict started following the 2019 ousting of the long-serving President of Sudan Omar al-Bashir, who himself came to power after a coup in 1989. After the army mounted a coup to oust al-Bashir, civilians continued to campaign for democracy. A military and civilian government was established after al-Bashir’s ousting, but was itself overthrown by another coup in October 2021. This coup was staged by the two main leaders of the conflict that is currently ongoing, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who is the head of the armed forces and is, in turn, the country’s current president, and his deputy, R.S.F. leader General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo or “Hemedti”. The conflict started because of a disagreement between the two leaders regarding what path the country should take. The core of the issue was how to incorporate a 100,000-strong R.S.F. army into the country’s official army, and who would lead that endeavor, according to the BBC. The country’s main military backer is Egypt, on Sudan’s northern border. 

The world needs to remain vigilant of the continued threat of civilian casualties and take all necessary measures to ensure that the conflict reaches a peaceful end without causing further civilian harm. The biggest concern stemming from the capture of El Fasher and the intensifying nature of the conflict is their devastating effects on the country’s civilian population. Leaders across the world must push for mediation between the two sides to ensure that civilian suffering ends; for without international pressure, there is currently no end in sight.