El-Fasher’s fall: Sudan crisis demands a Turkish-led mediation

Launched by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan in April 2023, the conflict has persisted for over two and a half years, evolving into the world's largest humanitarian crisis. The escalating violence in Sudan reached its highest point in terms of humanitarian and war crimes with the seizure of the capital of North Darfur, el-Fasher, by RSF militias in October 2025. The fall of the city after an 18-month siege heralded a new era of extreme violence, including ethnically motivated murders, extrajudicial executions and widespread sexual violence.

El-Fasher is significant, both strategically and humanitarianly, as it was the last major stronghold of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) in the Darfur region in the fight against RSF militias. Its fall in late October 2025 was a critical military victory for the RSF, cementing its control over much of Darfur.

It was certain that the humanitarian consequences of the city's collapse would be catastrophic, as it served as a sanctuary. El-Fasher was home to more than a million civilians, many of whom had already been displaced by RSF militias elsewhere. The RSF's takeover of the city triggered a mass escape. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has documented at least 62,000 people fleeing the region between Oct. 26 and 29. The captured communities faced incredible dangers from the militias; their way out turned into scenes of inconceivable brutality and high casualties.