Darfur Killings: U.N. Reports 91 Deaths in Besieged City
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Sudan’s El Fasher Under siege: At Least 91 Civilians Killed in 10 Days
Table of Contents
Published: October 2, 2025, 9:44 PM
Overview of the Crisis in El Fasher
At least 91 civilians were killed in Sudan’s besieged city of El Fasher in attacks by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) within a 10-day period last month, according to the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human rights. The attacks represent a critically important escalation in the ongoing conflict between the Sudanese army and the RSF,both vying for control of the strategically important city.
the recent attacks, occurring between September 19 and 29, have focused on the Daraja Oula neighborhood, subjected to repeated artillery shelling, drone strikes, and ground incursions by the RSF. U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has urgently called for action to prevent ”large-scale, ethnically-driven attacks and atrocities in El Fasher,” highlighting the grave risk to the civilian population.
Recent attacks and Civilian Impact
on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, the RSF fired a missile into El Fasher, killing 16 people, including three women, and injuring 21 others, including five children. The Sudan Doctors Network described the attack as a “massacre,” stating that residential neighborhoods were deliberately targeted.This incident underscores the escalating brutality and disregard for civilian lives in the conflict.
El Fasher holds critical importance as the military’s last stronghold in the Darfur region, which, along with Kordofan, has become the epicenter of the violence.The city’s fall to the RSF would significantly alter the power dynamics in the region and perhaps lead to further instability.
The Wider Conflict in Sudan
The current civil war stems from a power struggle between General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the head of the Sudanese Armed Forces, and General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, the leader of the RSF. The conflict erupted on April 15, 2023, following tensions over the integration of the RSF into the regular army. The Council on Foreign Relations provides a detailed timeline and analysis of the conflict.
The fighting has had a devastating impact on Sudan, leading to a humanitarian crisis with millions displaced and facing food insecurity. The UN estimates that over 8 million people have been displaced since the conflict began. The situation is further complex by reports of widespread sexual violence and human rights abuses.
| Region | Estimated Displaced Population (as of Oct 2, 2025) | Key challenges |
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