The United States has warned of a potential rebel military offensive on the Sudanese city of el-Fasher, a key humanitarian hub that is becoming a new front in the country’s civil war. Conflict between General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan’s SAF forces and General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo’s FSR paramilitaries has resulted in millions of people being displaced in Sudan. El-Fasher, which was previously unaffected by the fighting, has seen bombardments and clashes since mid-April.
The United States has called for all armed forces in Sudan to cease attacks in el-Fasher, expressing alarm over a possible offensive by the RSF and its militias that could endanger civilians. Recent reports indicate that at least 25 civilians have been killed due to arbitrary shelling and airstrikes in the city and surrounding areas. Additionally, clashes in the eastern and northern parts of el-Fasher have already displaced 36,000 people, according to the UN.
As the conflict enters its second year, the UN and US have warned that a collapse of peace in el-Fasher would have catastrophic consequences. The city serves as a crucial humanitarian hub in Darfur, home to a large portion of Sudan’s population and a region with a history of violence. There are credible reports of villages being razed by the RSF and indiscriminate aerial bombardments by the SAF in the area, according to the State Department.
