Rapid Support Forces Capture Al-Fashir Marking Major Darfur War Shift

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) head Mirjana Spoljaric warned that history is repeating itself in Sudan's Darfur region after the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) seized the city of al-Fashir, previously the Sudanese army's last stronghold there. Reports indicate mass killings of civilians and unarmed fighters during the takeover, with witnesses describing RSF forces separating men from women and children before gunfire erupted, although the RSF denies targeting civilians. Tens of thousands have fled the city, while many remain trapped without access to food, clean water, or medical aid, with particular concern over a suspected massacre at the Saudi Hospital, the last functioning medical facility in al-Fashir. The RSF, with roots in the Janjaweed militias accused of atrocities during the earlier Darfur genocide, now controls over a quarter of Sudan's territory amid a civil war marked by ethnic violence and allegations of genocide and ethnic cleansing. The ICRC urged foreign backers of the conflict parties, including the UAE and Egypt, to restrain their allies and ensure civilian protection. The situation in Darfur is described as "horrific," with fears of a prolonged decade of war fueled by escalating conflicts and drone warfare making safe zones scarce.