Al-Fashir, Sudan| In a devastating escalation of Sudan’s ongoing civil war, at least 57 civilians were killed on April 16 in an artillery strike by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) targeting residential areas in Al-Fashir, the last remaining city in West Darfur still under the control of the Sudanese government.
The attack, which struck densely populated neighborhoods, was confirmed by local medical personnel and humanitarian volunteers on the ground.
The strike comes amid growing fears over the intensifying battle for Al-Fashir—a strategically significant city that has become the epicenter of the war in Darfur.
Since the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) recaptured the capital, Khartoum, last month in a major military operation, the RSF has redirected its military campaign westward, concentrating firepower and manpower on capturing Al-Fashir.
Witnesses report relentless shelling and a worsening humanitarian situation, with entire neighborhoods reduced to rubble and hospitals overwhelmed.
Humanitarian access has significantly deteriorated due to the fighting, leaving thousands without essential medical care, food, or safe shelter.
The United Nations Human Rights Office has confirmed that more than 400 civilians have died in and around displacement camps near Al-Fashir in recent weeks.
Aid agencies warn that the actual death toll may be far higher, as continued hostilities hinder efforts to assess the full scope of the destruction and deliver life-saving assistance.
Military analysts and regional observers caution that the fall of Al-Fashir would mark a turning point in the war, signaling the collapse of government authority in West Darfur.
Full RSF control over the region would not only bolster the paramilitary group’s territorial dominance but also likely lead to further atrocities, mass displacement, and destabilization across neighboring regions.
The broader conflict, which erupted in April 2023 between the RSF and Sudanese military leadership, has displaced over 10 million people and plunged Sudan into one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
The violence in Darfur carries particularly grave historical weight, recalling the genocide and ethnic cleansing that plagued the region in the early 2000s.
Despite mounting international concern, efforts at brokering a ceasefire or sustainable peace agreement have largely stalled. Diplomatic channels remain limited, and both sides appear committed to a military solution.
With fighting intensifying and the humanitarian crisis worsening by the day, the fate of Al-Fashir may soon determine not only the trajectory of the Darfur conflict but the future of Sudan itself.
Analysts warn that without urgent international intervention, the conflict risks spiraling further out of control, with potential spillover into neighboring Chad, South Sudan, and the Central African Republic.
The world watches as Al-Fashir stands on the brink—its fall could mark a grim new chapter in Sudan’s already tragic descent into protracted civil war.
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