Sudanese forces and allied armed groups say they have repelled a large-scale assault by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on El Fasher, the last major city in Darfur not under RSF control. The August 11 offensive began with intense shelling across the city, including strikes on the army’s 6th Infantry Division headquarters and the Abu Shouk displacement camp, before ground forces attacked from multiple fronts.
Military sources claim more than 200 RSF fighters were killed and over 40 combat vehicles destroyed or captured, though these figures could not be independently verified. Darfur Governor Minni Arko Minawi accused the RSF of using starvation as a weapon against civilians trapped in the besieged city.
Local volunteer groups reported that over 40 displaced people were killed in Abu Shouk camp during the fighting, with dozens more wounded. Activists accused RSF fighters of entering the camp, carrying out summary executions, and committing other abuses.
El Fasher has faced months of siege, with residents enduring severe shortages of food, medicine, and safe water. Despite the city’s remaining under government control, aid agencies warn that the humanitarian situation is deteriorating rapidly under continued shelling and drone strikes.