Burhan said local commanders proposed leaving “to a safe area” to spare residents from “systematic destruction and killing.” He vowed to “take revenge” and fight “until this land is purified.” The statement followed weekend footage of RSF fighters inside the Sixth Division base and detentions in city streets.

UN Flags Atrocity Risk

The UN chief called the development a “terrible escalation” and said suffering in Sudan is “unbearable.” The UN Human Rights Office cited reports of summary executions with “ethnic motivations,” warning of mounting, large-scale violations. Aid groups reported looting of hospitals and the detention of more than 1,000 civilians, including a local journalist.

Civilians Trapped, Flight West To Tawila

Before the assault, roughly 260,000 civilians—about half children—were trapped in El-Fasher. The UN migration agency estimated more than 26,000 fled since Sunday, many toward Tawila, about 70 km west. Humanitarian networks described a “heinous massacre,” with dozens killed and health infrastructure “destroyed,” leaving the area without functioning care.

Strategic Consequences In Darfur

RSF control over El-Fasher gives it all five Darfur state capitals and consolidates parallel administration from Nyala. The city had endured an 18-month siege marked by shortages and attacks; nationwide, the war since April 2023 has killed tens of thousands and displaced nearly 12 million. The army is now largely confined to Sudan’s north, east, and center, as rights bodies press for accountability.