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The National
01-07-2025
- Politics
- The National
RSF fighters close in on army garrison in Sudan's El Fasher
Fighters from Sudan 's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces are closing in on the lone army garrison in El Fasher after they tightened their grip on districts of the north Darfur city, residents said on Tuesday. El Fasher is the only city in Darfur − a western region roughly the size of France − that remains under army control, with the rest held by the RSF. The city has been besieged by the RSF since May last year, with the army's 6th Infantry Division and allied groups its last defenders. Many of El Fasher's residents have fled to escape the fighting. Residents said the RSF had on past occasions forayed inside the city only to be swiftly chased out by troops and militiamen. However, they said the RSF this week ordered the eviction of the remaining inhabitants of the southern and eastern parts of the city, suggesting the paramilitary group wanted to make one more push to overrun the garrison, the army's last foothold in the city. The RSF and the army have been locked in a devastating civil war in Sudan since April 2023. The conflict has killed tens of thousands people and displaced more than 14 million of the country's 50 million people. Another 26 million are facing hunger. The garrison is in the northern part of El Fasher, where many people remain, said residents, who spoke to The National on condition of anonymity because they feared reprisals if the city fell into RSF hands. Video clips shot by the RSF's media team and shared online purported to show deserted roads inside El Fasher, with the charred skeletons of vehicles and areas of shattered tarmac visible. The team, joined by fighters, posed outside the heavily damaged local office of the security and intelligence agencies and the Al Kabeer, or grand, mosque. Both locations are in the centre of the city. They said they were no more than 300 metres away from the 6th Infantry Division headquarters. Sporadic gunfire could be heard in the background. The National could not immediately confirm the authenticity of the video clips, but the residents, who live in the northern part of the city, said the footage was from El Fasher. Members of the RSF media team said the videos were shot on Monday. There has been no word from the army or the RSF updating the military situation in El Fasher, which has seen some of the worst fighting in the country's civil war to date. The army on Friday agreed to a UN call for a week-long humanitarian truce in El Fasher. The RSF did not publicly respond. Losing El Fasher would be a serious blow to the army, which retook the capital Khartoum from the RSF in March and threw the paramilitary group out of central Sudan shortly before that. The army also controls northern and eastern Sudan. The RSF, on the other hand, controls parts of Kordofan in the south-west − where it has struck an alliance with a powerful rebel group − in addition to all of Darfur, with the exception of El Fasher. Darfur is the birthplace of the RSF's forerunner, the notorious Janjaweed militia, as well as RSF commander Gen Mohamed Dagalo. The region has been roiled in bloody conflict since the early 2000s, when ethnic Africans took up arms against the Khartoum government to demand an end to discrimination and the monopoly on power by a northern Sudanese elite. Some 300,000 people died in that conflict and another 2.5 million were displaced, according to UN figures, and the root causes of the conflict has never been fully dealt with. A Darfur fully under RSF control would be a huge step towards the partition of Sudan, a prospect that the country's friends and the UN have repeatedly warned about. The war in Sudan began when differences between Gen Dagalo and the commander of the armed forces, Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan, over their future in a democratic Sudan boiled over into open conflict. Both men, however, are seen to be essentially vying for control of the resource-rich but impoverished Afro-Arab nation.
GMA Network
23-05-2025
- GMA Network
Ex-rebel bomb expert surrenders in Maguindanao del Norte — PH Army
An alleged former rebel bomb expert has surrendered to the government in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao del Norte, the Philippine Army's 6th Infantry Division (6ID) said in a statement Friday. Commander of 1st Brigade Combat Team (1BCT) Brigadier General Jose Vladimir Cagara said the military will not divulge the identity of the ex-rebel for security reasons. "Ang 35-anyos na dating rebelde ay boluntaryong sumuko bunsod ng matinding takot sa kanyang kaligtasan dulot ng sunod-sunod at pinaigting na operasyon ng militar laban sa kanilang grupo," the 6ID said, adding that his surrender happened on Wednesday. (The 35-year-old former rebel voluntarily surrendered due to extreme fear for his safety amid the continuous and intensified military operations against his group.) "Kasabay ng kanyang pagbabalik-loob, isinuko rin ng dating bomb expert ang mga kagamitang pandigma na kinabibilangan ng isang Uzi 9mm submachine gun at isang 60mm improvised explosive device (IED)," it added. (Along with his surrender, the former bomb expert also surrendered his war equipment which includes an Uzi 9mm submachine gun and a 60mm improvised explosive device (IED).) Major General Donald Gumiran, commander of 6ID, lauded the decision of the former rebel. "Sa halip na maghasik ng karahasan, mas pinili niyang tahakin ang landas ng kapayapaan. Ito ay patunay na hindi pa huli ang lahat para sa sinuman na nagnanais ng pagbabago at bagong simula," he added. (Instead of sowing violence, he chose to walk the path of peace. This is proof that it is not too late for anyone who wants change and a new beginning.) — VDV, GMA Integrated News
Saudi Gazette
19-04-2025
- Politics
- Saudi Gazette
At least 35 civilians killed as RSF shells residential areas in El-Fasher, North Darfur
KHARTOUM — At least 35 civilians were killed and 40 others injured following intense shelling by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on residential neighborhoods in the city of El-Fasher, North Darfur, the Sudanese army announced on Friday. In a statement, the army's 6th Infantry Division, stationed in El-Fasher, said the RSF launched 'indiscriminate and scattered artillery shelling' on Thursday, targeting densely populated areas across the city. The attack resulted in the deaths of women, children, and the elderly, while dozens of others sustained serious injuries and were transferred to local hospitals for treatment. The army added that it successfully repelled a 'failed RSF ground assault' on the northeastern outskirts of El-Fasher. According to the statement, government forces killed 80 RSF fighters, destroyed 10 armed vehicles, and inflicted significant losses on the group. The RSF has not issued any official response to the army's claims. El-Fasher, a strategic hub for humanitarian operations across all five Darfur states, has witnessed repeated and deadly clashes between the Sudanese army and RSF since May 2024, despite international appeals to prevent fighting in civilian areas. Earlier this week, the RSF claimed it had seized control of the Zamzam refugee camp near El-Fasher after heavy clashes with government forces. The United Nations reported that at least 400 civilians have been killed and nearly 400,000 displaced due to the escalating violence in and around the city. Since the outbreak of conflict on April 15, 2023, between the RSF and the Sudanese army, the country has descended into one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. More than 20,000 people have been killed, and over 15 million displaced, according to the UN and local authorities. However, research from U.S.-based scholars estimates the death toll could be as high as 130,000. In recent weeks, the RSF has reportedly lost significant territory across Sudan to advancing government forces, amid continued international calls for a ceasefire and a political resolution to the conflict. — Agencies
Al Bawaba
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Al Bawaba
12 killed, dozens injured in RSF shelling on El Fasher
Published April 9th, 2025 - 04:55 GMT The army condemned the attack, noting that it occurred despite its full control over El Fasher, which it recently regained as part of broader military advances across the country. The RSF has not issued a response regarding the incident. ALBAWABA- At least 12 civilians were killed and 17 others severely injured in an artillery attack launched by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on the city of El Fasher in North Darfur, western Sudan, according to a statement released on Wednesday by the Sudanese army. The military's 6th Infantry Division confirmed that the RSF used heavy artillery in the assault. The wounded were taken to local hospitals for urgent treatment. Intense RSF Military Movements in South Darfur as Threat of Attack on El Fasher Looms Eyewitnesses and local sources in the town of Mershing, located 86 kilometers north of Nyala—the capital of South Darfur State—have reported heavy military movements by the Rapid Support Forces… — HornPulse (@hornpulsemedia) April 9, 2025 The army condemned the attack, noting that it occurred despite its full control over El Fasher, which it recently regained as part of broader military advances across the country. The RSF has not issued a response regarding the incident. In recent weeks, the Sudanese army has made rapid progress in its war against the RSF, reclaiming control over several key areas, including the capital, Khartoum. Strategic sites such as the presidential palace, ministries, airport, and military bases have reportedly returned to army hands. Meanwhile, the RSF's presence has diminished significantly across Sudan's 17 states, now limited to parts of North and West Kordofan, small pockets in South Kordofan and Blue Nile, and four states in Darfur. © 2000 - 2025 Al Bawaba (
