Sudan’s Civil War Deepens: RSF Massacres in El-Fasher Shock the World

The civil war in Sudan continues to spiral into one of Africa’s worst humanitarian disasters. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a powerful paramilitary faction, have seized control of El-Fasher, a city located nearly 800 kilometers west of the capital Khartoum, unleashing a wave of mass killings and sexual violence that has stunned the international community.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), at least 460 people were massacred inside the Saudi Hospital in El-Fasher alone. After an 18-month-long siege, RSF fighters launched coordinated assaults on homes and hospitals across the city. Witnesses and medical staff report that doctors and nurses were abducted, and gunmen later returned to systematically execute hospital staff, patients, and caretakers in cold blood.

Background: Power Struggle and Factions at War

The civil war in Sudan, now in its second year, is being fought primarily between two rival forces — the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), the country’s official military, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a once-auxiliary paramilitary group turned formidable rebel force.

The conflict erupted after the ousting of long-time dictator Omar al-Bashir, when military leaders failed to agree on a roadmap to civilian rule. A key trigger was the dispute over integrating the RSF into the national army, a move that exposed deep divisions within Sudan’s military leadership and ignited the current war.

Root Causes: Ethnic Hatred and the Fight for Resources

Beyond political rivalry, the war is driven by entrenched ethnic tensions and competition for natural resources. The RSF traces its origins to the Janjaweed militias, notorious for their atrocities during the Darfur conflict in the early 2000s. This historical legacy of ethnic violence continues to fuel divisions across the country.

Control over Sudan’s lucrative gold reserves and other natural resources has also intensified the conflict, with both factions seeking to dominate key economic assets to secure power and funding.

Humanitarian Catastrophe

Reports indicate that the RSF has been targeting minority communities and civilians perceived to oppose them. According to United Nations estimates, over 40,000 people have been killed since the conflict began, with as many as 2,000 deaths reported in the past few days alone.

The war has displaced millions of people, forcing mass migrations across Sudan’s borders into neighboring countries. Observers describe the situation as Africa’s largest and most devastating humanitarian crisis in decades — one marked by lawlessness, ethnic cleansing, and the near-collapse of civil governance.

Despite mounting global outrage, international intervention remains limited, and Sudan continues to descend deeper into chaos, with El-Fasher now standing as a grim symbol of the country’s suffering.