3 November 2025 | 11:45 CAT
3-minute read

Mass displacement, starvation and ethnic cleansing in Darfur as Al-Fashir falls

Briefly:

• Mass displacement and atrocities: Only 5 000 of the 60 000 people who fled Al-Fashir have reached safety, while many remain stranded, malnourished, or victims of violence including executions and sexual assault.
• Foreign involvement: Reports and UN findings link the UAE to financing and supplying the RSF through a network of mercenary routes, turning Sudan’s gold into “a new version of blood diamonds.”
• Humanitarian blockade: The RSF continues to block aid from organisations like Médecins Sans Frontières, worsening starvation and medical crises for civilians trapped in Darfur.

A humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding in the capital of North Darfur, the city known as Al Fashir, where civilians, aid agencies and independent monitors say that thousands have been killed and tens of thousands displaced since the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) claimed control on 26 October 2025 after an 18-month siege.

Journalist and analyst Zakiyya Hatia, speaking on this week’s Debrief Network, painted a stark picture of civilians trapped, starving, and exposed to violence at every turn.

She described there being no reliable contact with those still inside Al-Fashir, while for those who managed to flee towards the nearby town of Tawila many were arriving in dire condition.

“The people that are still trapped in the city we have no contact with them … only 5 000 people have managed to reach – of the 60 000 that escaped originally.”

Aid-workers arriving at Tawila report severe malnutrition, injuries, trauma, reports of mass executions, sexual violence and kidnappings for ransom. The IDP camps in the wider region are already overstretched and ill-equipped to cope with the influx of people. Hatia warns that this is only getting worse.

In the wider context, Al Fashir has been under siege since mid-2024: satellite imagery shows major supply roads sealed and earthen berms built to encircle the city, restricting movement and humanitarian access. The fall of Al Fashir, if confirmed, marks the loss of the last major government foothold in Darfur for the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and consolidates RSF dominance across the region.

For many observers this represents much more than a military defeat; it potentially signals the beginning of a de-facto division of the country, with Darfur under RSF control and Khartoum-east under SAF/central government control.

“Sudan’s gold is actually funding the destruction … he called it actually a new version of blood diamonds.”

Hatia highlighted an analysis pointing to the involvement of foreign actors—among them the United Arab Emirates (UAE)—providing funding, weapons and logistical networks to RSF forces. Documents such as UN-linked reports point to external funding and supply chains via African airports and mercenary networks.

She underscored the humanitarian dimension of the crisis:

“No humanitarian aid allowed in; organisations such as the MSF have been calling for aid to be let through, but the RSF is not allowing anything through.”

Indeed, humanitarian organisations face a near-total blockade of access into Al Fashir. Reports indicate aid convoys are blocked, and hospitals and clinics have collapsed under the siege, with huge numbers of malnourished children and trauma victims.

On the international front, while the African Union (AU), Gulf states and other regional players have issued condemnations, observers say actions remain limited. Hatia pointed out that in contrast to the vocal role played by South Africa in the Palestinian issue, its engagement with Sudan has been muted and lacking in concrete steps.

The humanitarian implications are profound: with an estimated 250 000 or more civilians trapped in the city prior to its fall, and many more displaced, the siege and takeover have created one of the most acute crises in the region.

As the RSF consolidates control over Al Fashir, the immediate priorities are protection of civilians, restored humanitarian access and independent investigations into alleged mass killings, ethnic cleansing and resource-driven war. The situation demands urgent global attention before the full scope of the tragedy becomes irreversible.

Listen to the Debrief Report on Sabaahul Muslim with Moulana Sulaimaan Ravat.