Sudan Army Pledges to Reclaim El Fasher After Retreat
(MENAFN) Sudan’s military chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan on Monday pledged to reclaim El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, after his forces withdrew from the city, which has been under siege by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since May 2024.
Speaking on television, al-Burhan, who chairs Sudan's Transitional Sovereign Council and commands the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), confirmed the army’s retreat from the key Darfur city—its final stronghold in the region—explaining the decision was made to safeguard civilians.
"We agreed to leave the city and move to a safe location to spare the rest of the citizens and the city from further destruction," Al-Burhan said in his first public comments since the RSF declared full control of El Fasher on Sunday.
He also vowed to regain lost ground, declaring, "We can turn the tables every time and bring every inch of land back into the homeland."
The RSF announced on Sunday that its forces had taken El Fasher after months of fighting against the SAF and allied militias.
According to the Sudan Doctors Network, a volunteer medical organization, dozens of civilians were killed following the RSF takeover. The group accused the paramilitary of conducting "ethnically based executions" and a "horrific massacre," in addition to looting hospitals and pharmacies, leaving the sick and wounded without care.
The United Nations and international aid agencies have raised alarms over the worsening humanitarian crisis. The International Organization for Migration said it is monitoring new waves of displacement as families flee with limited access to food, water, and shelter.
Residents remain "trapped and terrified -- shelled, starving, and without access to healthcare or safety," the UN humanitarian office (OCHA) said, reiterating calls for an immediate ceasefire "in El Fasher, in Darfur, and throughout Sudan."
UN estimates indicate that over 700,000 people have fled El Fasher since the fighting between SAF and RSF erupted in April 2023. Those still in the city face severe shortages of essentials, while aid groups warn that deadly disease outbreaks could affect thousands.
Despite repeated appeals from the UN and the Security Council, international mediation has failed to halt the conflict in Darfur and neighboring Kordofan.
Sudan’s three-year war between the army and the RSF has already claimed tens of thousands of lives, displaced millions, and pushed much of the country to the brink of famine.
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