Satellite images reveal that paramilitary forces have built a vast barrier encircling El Fasher, the last stronghold of Sudan’s army in Darfur. The wall, identified by researchers monitoring the conflict, deepens the siege of a city already cut off for more than a year. With 300,000 civilians trapped inside, reports of deliberate shelling of homes, markets, and even hospitals have sparked alarm, as aid groups warn that humanitarian access is impossible.

Siege Deepens With Expanding Berms

The barrier, made up of raised earthworks, has been constructed in stages since May, with new segments stretching across villages and farmland around El Fasher. Researchers describe it as a “kill box,” controlling who and what enters or exits the city. Entire areas, including Alsen village, have been destroyed as the berm cuts through. Medical facilities have also been damaged, including a water treatment plant near the airport that remains barely operational.

The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which have surrounded the city for months, deny targeting civilians, but witnesses and medics report mass casualties. More than 20 people were killed and over 50 injured in recent shelling of residential neighborhoods. Survivors say fleeing the city is almost impossible, with those who attempt escape facing deadly attacks on the perimeter.

Humanitarian Crisis And Calls For Protection

With markets destroyed, hospitals bombarded, and supply routes cut off, El Fasher is facing a collapse in food and medical supplies. Aid organizations have been barred from entering the city, leaving families to endure hunger, untreated injuries, and disease under constant bombardment. Residents describe the choice between staying under siege or risking death trying to flee.

Former officials and civil society leaders have appealed to the United Nations Security Council to intervene, warning that El Fasher’s fall would hand full control of Darfur to the RSF and risk partitioning Sudan. Observers say the wall’s construction sets the stage for the military defeat of the Sudanese army in Darfur, with catastrophic consequences for civilians caught in the crossfire.