Sudan Nashra: RSF commander leading attacks on Fasher killed | UN Security Council demands RSF lift siege on Fasher

The battle in Fasher, the historic capital of Darfur in western Sudan and the last stronghold of the Sudanese Armed Forces in the region, has escalated from an internal conflict to an international concern. Earlier this week, the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution, proposed by the United Kingdom, demanding the Rapid Support Forces end their siege on the city.  

The resolution, passed with 14 votes in favor and Russia abstaining, calls for an immediate ceasefire, de-escalation of violence in Fasher and surrounding areas and the withdrawal of all combatants posing a threat to civilian safety. 

However, Darfur Governor Minni Arko Minawi criticized the security council’s resolution, stating that while seemingly sympathetic to Fasher's plight, “the resolution does not reflect the reality that the RSF is engaging in genocide and ethnic cleansing, deliberately targeting civilian areas, particularly hospitals.”

In a post on X, Minawi stated that as he was writing, the RSF infiltrated a hospital and his forces were working to expel them. He further accused the RSF of using advanced weaponry to inflict maximum human casualties. 

Minawi said that these actions have a clear definition under international law, but the security council has avoided explicitly condemning them as such. 

Since the peak of Fasher’s conflict in May, the city has been subjected to relentless assaults by the RSF. 

On Friday, the Sudanese Armed Forces and allied joint forces announced, in separate statements, that the RSF commander leading the attacks on Fasher, Ali Yacoub, was killed.

Fasher has been enduring daily attacks, including heavy artillery fire, indiscriminate shelling and direct clashes between the RSF and allied militias on one side and the military and allied armed movements on the other. 

The RSF's ground offensives over the past week have focused on the southern part of the city, including Fasher’s Southern Hospital, the main medical facility for the city’s population. The hospital was taken out of service following its capture by the RSF in the past week.  

The intense fighting and artillery shelling have driven thousands of Fasher’s residents to flee to areas under the control of the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) led by Abdel Wahid al-Nur in the Jabal Marra region.  

Meanwhile, fighting has resumed in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum, with scattered clashes erupting in several neighborhoods. The RSF has also intensified its attacks around the Signals Corps base area south of Bahri.  

Five waves of intense RSF assaults were observed by Mada Masr’s correspondents in the capital. While their western supply route from Omdurman has been cut off, they continue to mobilize troops for an attack on the Signals Corps, according to an RSF field commander who spoke to Mada Masr.

On the political front, the intra-Sudanese dialogue initiated by Cairo appears to be gaining traction in discussions within political forces across the spectrum. However, the government maintains its stance that participation by all Sudanese social and political forces is essential for the dialogue’s outcomes to be binding and receive the government’s attention. 

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Worsening humanitarian situation in Fasher

While battles escalate, Fasher continues to grapple with a dire humanitarian crisis, as increasing numbers of residents flee the violence. 

Since May 2, the RSF has been waging a relentless assault on Fasher in an attempt to capture the strategic city. The Sudanese Armed Forces and allied armed movements have managed to hold their ground, inflicting significant casualties and equipment losses on the attacking RSF forces. 

On  June 9, the RSF launched an assault on Fasher’s Southern Hospital, resulting in casualties among patients and medical staff. Their forces also looted medicine storages and personal belongings, and captured an ambulance vehicle. 

The military and allied forces recaptured the hospital within hours, however, driving out the RSF. The attack drew strong condemnation from international organizations such as Medecins Sans Frontieres, who denounced the raid, stating that the hospital had received 1,315 wounded individuals and recorded 208 deaths within the facility between May 10 and June 6.

On Tuesday, three artillery shells fell on the International Rescue Committee’s medical center in the Abu Shouk camp for the displaced in Fasher, killing two civilians and injuring others, including children and medical personnel. 

The loss of the Southern Hospital left residents dependent on the Sayyid al-Shuhada medical center and another medical center in Abu Shouk camp to treat the wounded. The Saudi Maternity Hospital also opened a surgical and emergency department to receive the injured. 

Darfur Governor Minni Arko Minawi condemned the RSF's actions, describing their crimes as atrocities unseen in the past two centuries. He accused the international community of media blackout regarding the RSF's crimes, stating that “only the crimes documented by the RSF themselves are being published.”  

On June 11, eight volunteers working in a charitable kitchen in Fasher were killed and others injured when RSF artillery shells struck residential buildings and civilian facilities. Eyewitnesses told Mada Masr that the residential areas south, east and central of the city were subjected to heavy artillery shelling last week, particularly the Tombasi neighborhood, resulting in civilian casualties. 

Journalist Mohi Eddin al-Sahaf, based in Fasher, told Mada Masr that the city has become an open battlefield. He said that the RSF is attacking from three directions — north, east and south — taking advantage of dust storms and rainfall as cover to infiltrate the city. 

Sahaf added that on Monday, RSF forces reached the livestock market before being repelled by the armed forces and the joint forces, who forced them out of the city. The journalist added that an increasing number of residents are fleeing Fasher to the cities of Dain and Nyala in eastern and southern Darfur, respectively, both of which are under RSF control, in addition to other safer villages. 

A military source within the joint force told Mada Masr that a Turkish-made UAV launched by the RSF targeting the joint force headquarters, west of the Nefasha market, was intercepted. However, another drone managed to strike a joint force base in the Radif neighborhood. 

In retaliation, the Sudanese Air Force conducted airstrikes on RSF positions in the city's eastern axis in the early hours of  June 11. Simultaneously, the air force airdropped supplies to the Sixth Infantry Division’s command in Fasher. 

Decisive battle

Former officer in the Sudanese National Democratic Alliance forces Hossam Zuelnoon told Mada Masr that the outcome of this battle will shape the region’s fate, and both the warring parties and civilians are aware of the gravity of the situation.  

Zuelnoon told Mada Masr that he believes that the RSF’s capture of the city could lead to a two-government scenario, similar to Libya.  This, he added, would also allow them to establish a base for Arab groups from outside Sudan, creating internal and external pressure to accept a political settlement in which the RSF plays a major role. 

Zuelnoon believes that the military and allied forces' steadfastness and the RSF's consecutive setbacks will prevent them from achieving a decisive victory. However, he emphasizes that sustaining this resistance requires more than courage and air support, calling for a shift in the military’s defensive strategies.   

Observers raise concerns over the emergence of discrepancies and lack of adherence to plans between the armed forces and the allied armed movements in Fasher’s battle.

Despite differing fighting styles and tactics between the military and allied forces, Zuelnoon said he believes that this diversity can be a strength if managed effectively. He added that these are complementary combat styles capable of serving the war cabinet’s ultimate goals. 

Zulenoon further said that a military leadership with strategic thinking that can transcend traditional military theories is needed to lead the forces in Darfur. 

On the humanitarian front, the official spokesperson of the General Coordination for Displaced Persons and Refugees Adam Rijal told Mada Masr that thousands of displaced people have fled the fighting in Fasher and the surrounding areas, reaching areas under the SLM (Nur) control in the Tawila region on  June 10. 

Rijal added that the displaced individuals are in dire need of food, medicine, water and shelter materials. He said that over the past two weeks, 7,380 families, comprising 40,025 individuals, have been displaced. 

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UN Security Council demands RSF lift siege on Fasher 

A UN Security Council resolution, passed with 14 votes in favor and Russia abstaining on Thursday, demanded that the RSF lift the siege on Fasher. The resolution calls for an immediate ceasefire, de-escalation of violence in Fasher and surrounding areas and the withdrawal of all combatants threatening civilian safety. 

Proposed by the UK, the resolution stresses the need for all parties to the conflict to ensure the protection of civilians, including allowing safe passage for those seeking refuge within and outside Fasher. It further underscores the need to safeguard civilians under international law, urging the UN Secretary-General to present recommendations for civilian protection in Sudan, in consultation with Sudanese authorities and regional stakeholders. 

The UNSC also called for the full implementation of the Jeddah Declaration on civilian protection in Sudan, urging all parties to facilitate the swift, safe, unimpeded and continuous delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians in need. 

The council acknowledged the measures the Sudanese authorities have taken in this regard and encouraged further cooperation. The resolution reiterates the call for all parties to collaborate with UN agencies and other humanitarian actors to ensure humanitarian access, with prior consent and coordination with the Sudanese authorities. 

The council also called for the reopening of the Adre border crossing to facilitate humanitarian aid delivery. It also urged all parties to withdraw fighters as necessary to enable agricultural activities during the planting season, preventing a worsening of the famine threat.  

Following the endorsement of the resolution, the UK’s Permanent Representative to the UN Barbara Woodward stated that it sends a clear message that the UNSC demands the RSF to end the siege of Fasher immediately. She also said that it emphasized that all parties need to step back from the brink, as the attack on the city will be catastrophic for the 1.5 million people who have sought refuge there. 

Woodward added that the UK presented this resolution to support a local ceasefire around Fasher and create broader conditions for a de-escalation across the country, ultimately saving lives. 

The US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield echoed the need for the Security Council to “consider all tools at its disposal” to facilitate immediate humanitarian access. 

“We came together to call on all member states to refrain from external interference in this conflict, which, if it continues, will only foment further instability,” Thomas-Greenfield stated during the voting session. “We will be watching closely. And if the situation on the ground does not change for the better, this council must take further action.”

Russia abstained from voting, with its UN Deputy Permanent Representative Anna Evstigneeva criticizing the resolution’s text as “at odds with the reality on the ground” and ignoring the principled comments of the Sudanese themselves. 

Evstigneeva questioned the purpose of the resolution, stating, “the priority should be efforts that seek to preserve state institutions, unity and the territorial integrity of the country through finding a political solution that is defined by the Sudanese people themselves.”

She criticized the resolution for containing decisions that she deemed dubious concerning the country’s sovereignty and unity. “We cannot agree with the proposed call on all Sudanese parties to ensure free humanitarian access,” she stated, emphasizing that national border control and the crossing of goods are “a sovereign affair of the authorities in charge.”

She argued that any attempt to impose artificial exemption from this principle or delegate the authority to a non-state actor is a blatant infringement on Sudan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.  

Evstigneeva further remarked that instead of “artificially instrumentalizing the topic of famine,” certain states should pay primary attention to cooperation with the Sudanese authorities in addressing the food crisis and supporting agriculture.

During the Sudan Sanctions Committee head’s presentation on the committee’s quarterly briefing, Sudan’s representative Al-Harith Idriss al-Harith Mohamed urged the council to take decisive action to condemn the RSF’s crimes and send a strong and clear message that the international community will not tolerate ongoing attacks on civilians, and that the perpetrators will face justice and accountability in both national and international courts. 

Mohamed demanded identifying countries supporting and arming the criminal militias and urged to hold them accountable, highlighting that such support directly contributes to the perpetuation of violence and destruction in Sudan. 

Mohamed specifically condemned the United Arab Emirates as a key contributor and the regional sponsor of the RSF. He said that its backing for the RSF, coupled with its provision of arms and supplies, has exacerbated the plight of civilians caught in the conflict. 

He accused the UAE of actively prolonging the conflict and fueling atrocities against innocent civilians and described the continued Emirati support as a blatant disregard for the UNSC’s resolutions, questioning the rationale for maintaining sanctions on Darfur if countries directly involved in violating those resolutions, particularly the UAE and Chad, remain unaddressed. 

Referencing a report by Yale Humanitarian Research Lab, Mohamed cited satellite imagery identifying an IL-76 cargo plane flying over RSF positions southeast of Fasher. He said that the plane was observed in flight several times, suggesting that the UAE is using these aircrafts to deliver weapons and military equipment to the RSF. 

He stated that the UAE is not merely a supporter and sponsor of the RSF's war in Sudan but a direct participant in the conflict, sharing responsibility for crimes and violations against civilians. 

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RSF commander and leader of Fasher’s attacks killed 

On Friday, Darfur Governor Minni Arko Minawi announced the death of Ali Yacoub, the RSF commander leading attacks on Fasher. Posting on X, Minawi wrote, "farewell, commander of the Fasher massacre.” 

The joint force sent Mada Masr images confirming Yacoub’s death during Fasher’s battles. 

A field source in the armed movements told Mada Masr on condition of anonymity that Yacoub was killed following an ambush by the military and armed movements on his location. The assault threw Yacoub’s security guards into disarray, with some guards fleeing, according to the source.  

The source said that Yacoub was killed in the ensuing firefight, and his vehicle and personal belongings, including his satellite phone, were seized. 

The joint force spokesperson Ahmed Hussein told Mada Masr that they remain steadfast in their defensive efforts, having repelled 87 RSF attacks on Fasher. “We will persist in our mission to eliminate the militias in Darfur and throughout the Sudanese cities,” Hussein said. 

In a statement on Friday, the armed movements’ joint force confirmed Yacoub’s death, accusing him of orchestrating a brutal and vengeful campaign against Fasher and nearby villages for nearly a month. 

Hussein described Yacoub’s attempts to invade Fasher as “failed.” Hussein said that the RSF’s attacks included artillery shelling targeting densely populated residential areas, shelters for the displaced and hospitals, intended to terrorize, kill and displace civilians.

The joint force’s statement said that there is a coordinated military plan in place devised by the Sudanese military, the joint force, the popular self-defense force and popular resistance groups to put an end to what they termed the “criminal farce.” The statement said the plan will eradicate the enemy’s forces in the southern and eastern axes of Fasher, particularly eliminating field commanders and their soldiers.

The joint force reported the deaths of 1,000 RSF fighters, including Yacoub, whom the statement said was the actual commander of the RSF in Darfur and Sudan following the “escape and disappearance” of RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo “Hemedti” and his brother Abdel Rahim. The statement also reported the destruction of over 60 tanks, the capture of 40 others and the destruction of seven armored vehicles and supply trucks. Over 43 RSF soldiers were taken prisoner.

The statement said that Yacoub’s death marks the decisive end of the RSF's myth and the beginning of their ultimate defeat, with ongoing efforts to eradicate the remaining RSF presence in Darfur and liberate all Sudanese territory. 

The Sudanese military also confirmed Yacoub's death in a press release on Friday, noting that despite the UNSC call to end the siege on Fasher, the RSF resumed their attack on the city on Friday. The military and joint forces repelled the assault, they stated, inflicting heavy casualties, including Yacoub’s death and capturing several combat vehicles from the fleeing rebels.

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Unrelenting battles in Khartoum’s front

In the Sudanese capital Khartoum, fighting between the military and the RSF continues unabated across several fronts within the capital’s three cities. Over the past week, Omdurman, to the west, has seen the most intense battles as the military made limited advances to secure new positions in the Doha and Umbada neighborhoods west of the city.

Simultaneously, the military carried out airstrikes targeting RSF concentrations at the Kandahar market in western Omdurman. According to the RSF spokesperson, these airstrikes resulted in civilian casualties and injuries, although footage shows RSF fighters moving in the area of the airstrikes.

In Bahri, north of Khartoum, RSF forces persist in their assaults on the Signal Corps without making significant progress. Meanwhile, military units in the Kadro neighborhood, part of the Weapons Corps north of the city, continue to ambush RSF forces, destroying combat vehicles and fuel trucks.

In the northernmost area of Bahri, around the Jaili oil refinery, residents reported hearing loud explosions and seeing plumes of smoke following the military’s airstrikes on the area. These attacks were in response to RSF attempts to establish advanced defenses in the north. According to an informed source who spoke to Mada Masr, the airstrikes destroyed about three RSF vehicles.

In Khartoum city, limited skirmishes erupted around the Armored Corps. A group of RSF fighters infiltrated the Lamab neighborhood adjacent to the military camp and clashed with military defenses. A field source told Mada Masr that the military repelled the infiltrators and an RSF reconnaissance unit sent to locate the first group. The military seized a combat vehicle armed with a dual machine gun and several light weapons and ammunition.

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Conservation strategy

In Khartoum and several other cities, the Sudanese military continues to employ a strategy of attrition and strength conservation without engaging in decisive battles deploying all troops and weapons. Despite conducting a wide-scale maneuver across all fronts two weeks ago, the military has reverted to a defensive posture, entrenching and holding their positions.

A former Sudanese military officer told Mada Masr that the military relies on short-term plans, with outcomes often merely reflecting the reactions of forces on the ground. 

The source noted that this strategy of dormancy and conserving strength is attributed to two factors: a lack of understanding of the enemy's position and battlefield conditions, and the possibility that an unseen party is aiming to maintain the conflict at a certain level to achieve objectives beyond the battlefield.

Zuelnoon, on the other hand, said that military science and practical experience indicate wars cannot be won by defense alone. He said that attrition strategies have two negative aspects: direct harm to civilians, as seen since the war began, and detrimental effects on the morale of soldiers and civilians alike. This loss of confidence in both the military leadership and the military itself could ultimately lead to widespread disillusionment.

Zuelnoon warned that prolonged management of a war of attrition could result in rebellion within the military, inevitably leading to national collapse and fragmentation. He referenced the Somali-Ethiopian war over the Ogaden desert, where, following the defeat of the Somali military due to Russian support for Ethiopia, the Somali military turned against its leadership, leading to prolonged internal conflict and the disintegration of Somalia into warring factions, Zuelnoon said.

Zuelnoon stressed that the military leadership's continued conduct of operations in this manner, without capitalizing on successes, represents a critical tactical and strategic blunder, potentially exacting a high price from all involved.

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Civil Front for Democracy welcomes Cairo’s call for dialogue

The Civil Front for Democracy spokesperson Bakry al-Jack told Mada Masr that the front welcomes Egypt's call for dialogue. Jack said that the front has established a joint committee with Egypt to discuss their potential participation, stressing that the front is supportive of any effort that brings the Sudanese civilians' viewpoints closer together.  

Regarding former Prime Minister and front head Abdalla Hamdok’s visit to Cairo earlier this year for the Sudan charter conference, which saw the participation of some Sudanese civilian forces opposed to the front,  Jack said that the front did not ask Egypt to undertake this effort. Hamdok's visit, he added, was in response to an invitation from the Egyptian leadership to discuss ending the war. 

Meanwhile, a source within Sudan's Sovereignty Council told Mada Masr that the front’s stance toward the Sudanese government has shifted, becoming increasingly aligned with the RSF. However, Jack refuted this claim, stating that the front’s position remains unchanged. 

"Since our preparatory meeting in October 2023, we have consistently maintained that this war has no winners and cannot be resolved militarily. We have refused to endorse the narratives of either side to avoid legitimizing the conflict," Jack said. 

He added that the front believes that the battle for legitimacy could prolong the war, emphasizing their diplomatic efforts to persuade both sides to negotiate and implement an immediate ceasefire without preconditions. 

Jack said that the front’s position is not an attack on the de facto government, referring to the Sudanese Armed Forces, but rather an appeal for an end to bloodshed. 

On the prospect of engaging with political factions, Jack said that various efforts are underway to facilitate dialogue among civilians and reach agreements. He noted that Cairo, the European Union and the African Union are all pursuing this goal.

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