Face of Truth: Is El Fasher Dying…!
Ibrahim Shiglawy
The city of El Fasher has been under a suffocating siege imposed by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for over a year, amid near-total service collapse and looming famine threatening its population of several hundred thousand. Despite the scale of this humanitarian catastrophe, the United Nations Security Council has yet to take action commensurate with the crisis.
In June 2024, the Council adopted Resolution 2736, which called for an immediate end to the siege, de-escalation in and around El Fasher, protection of civilians, and facilitation of humanitarian aid delivery. However, the resolution remains ink on paper, lacking any implementation mechanisms, while conditions on the ground continue to deteriorate rapidly.
The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Sudan, Radhouane Nouicer, stated yesterday that his priorities focus on four key areas: protection of civilians, facilitating humanitarian access, ensuring accountability, and preventing impunity—alongside safeguarding the freedom of humanitarian and human rights organizations. In a briefing to a small group of journalists, he expressed deep concern, noting no meaningful progress on any of these fronts.
Domestically, the signals have been mixed. At a press conference held in Port Sudan in July 2025, the Sudanese government reiterated its humanitarian policy based on delivering aid to all populations without religious, ethnic, or regional discrimination. It also announced the opening of crossings, corridors, and airports—including those outside its control, such as the Adré border crossing with Chad—for aid delivery, extending its opening for an additional three months. This came alongside an official declaration of accepting a humanitarian truce in El Fasher, in response to a UN proposal aimed at securing humanitarian access to the besieged population.
Lt. Gen. Al-Sadiq Ismail, Humanitarian Advisor to the Sovereign Council, identified North Darfur and South Kordofan as the areas most in need, urging organizations to scale up efforts following the corridor openings. The government also announced the formation of a National Emergency Committee to support the Humanitarian Aid Commission. Meanwhile, Commissioner Salwa Adam Benya revealed that the latest displacement waves were catastrophic, with approximately 1.3 million people fleeing combat zones—over half a million from Zamzam Camp to El Fasher, and tens of thousands from Abu Shouk and Tawila into areas inside Chad.
Despite these official announcements, actual field response remains inadequate. No effective military effort has been made to break the siege or secure supply lines into El Fasher. While the Sudanese army possesses both manpower and logistical capacity, it has yet to launch a targeted operation toward the city. Thousands of fighters from the Joint Forces (Juba Peace Movements) remain stationed in Khartoum and Kordofan, according to a recent report by Al Arabiya. Observers believe the siege could have been lifted earlier if well-equipped battalions had been mobilized, as they had successfully dismantled RSF positions in previous battles.
Exacerbating the tragedy, El Fasher is now on the brink of a real famine. According to UN reports dated July 8, 2025, 38% of children under five in the city suffer from acute malnutrition, with 11% in critical condition that threatens their lives directly. North Darfur Governor Hafiz Bakhit described the situation as “unbearable”, noting that residents now rely on “Ambaz”—peanut husks usually used as animal feed—as their main food source, after essential goods disappeared from the markets and the price of a quarter sack of millet exceeded 500,000 Sudanese pounds.
In a notable development, Darfur Regional Governor Minni Arko Minnawi expressed readiness to engage with the “Sumood” alliance, and even with the RSF, if they show any genuine commitment. He stated, “We are all Sudanese and must move together toward peace”—a sign of tactical flexibility and perhaps an effort to build temporary understandings that could ease tensions on the ground. However, this openness does not overlook the fact that RSF forces besieging El Fasher continue to commit grave violations against civilians, as confirmed by both local and international reports.
The challenge now is not in rhetoric—but in action.
The international community, especially the UN Security Council, must translate its decisions into concrete tools on the ground. This includes putting real pressure on the RSF, activating emergency airdrops of humanitarian aid, and enforcing the ceasefire that the Sudanese government has already agreed to, in order to allow aid into the city.
Similarly, the Sudanese government must now, more than ever, assume its full responsibilities: mobilize forces toward El Fasher, secure supply routes and the airport, and establish a new reality to break the siege.
What is happening in El Fasher is not just a humanitarian crisis; it is a direct test of the Sudanese state’s capacity to protect its citizens, and a measure of the international community’s credibility in standing by civilians in conflict zones.
The tragedy has surpassed the limits of human endurance. Silence is now a form of complicity. If no serious steps are taken in the coming days, El Fasher may fall—not only under siege, but into the world’s memory as a black mark on the face of humanity.
Wishing you peace and wellness.
Wednesday, July 30, 2025
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