Battle of El Fasher

In 2003, rebel movements in Southern Sudan, the predominantly non-Arab Justice and Equality Movement and Sudan People's Liberation Movement launched attacks against Sudanese Army bases and their allies, the predominantly Arab Janjaweed militia. JEM and SPLM launched the attacks in opposition to dictator Omar al-Bashir, who promptly declared war against the militias. Since 2003, the war has killed hundreds of thousands of people, and displaced many more.

For much of the war in Darfur, al-Fashir was controlled by the Sudanese Army and Janjaweed, although rebels held positions in the remote Jebel Marrah. The city was often a place of negotiations, with meetings taking place in 2010 and the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur being signed there in 2013.[5][6] Despite this, fighting still occurred occasionally in the city, between rebels, UNAMID, the Sudanese Army, and the Janjaweed.[7]

The war in Darfur ended after the Sudanese Revolution ousted al-Bashir in 2020, and warring parties signed the Juba Peace Agreement. However, clashes continued sporadically, and looting, raids, and battles stemming from property or ethnic disputes continued in August 2021.[8] In these attacks, dozens of people were killed, and North Darfuri security forces and the Sudanese Army were often unable to stabilize the situation.[9] In December 2021, looting and violence occurred around the former United Nations base in the town, that was used logistically by UNAMID.[10]

In March 2023, tribal clashes continued, with four people killed due to infighting in the Bani Hussein tribe.[11]

Following the Sudanese revolution, Nimir Mohammed Abdelrahman was appointed governor, and Mohammed Hassan Arabi was dismissed.[12] In Khartoum, the Sudanese capital, many Janjaweed enlisted into the Rapid Support Forces led by Hemedti, a paramilitary affiliated with the Sudanese Army founded in 2013.[13] Civilian-administration leader Abdalla Hamdok was overthrown in 2021 by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the transitional military leader, with the aid of the RSF. However, by early 2023, tensions grew between Hemedti and Burhan over the integration of the RSF into the Sudanese Army, as the integration would heavily decrease RSF's independence and effectiveness.[13] These tensions came to a head on April 15, when RSF soldiers attacked SAF positions in Khartoum and Merowe.

Clashes erupted in El Fasher on April 15, like many other cities across Sudan.[14] The RSF claimed to have captured the El Fasher airport and several military sites in the city by April 16, but this was unverifiable at the time.[15] 27 people were injured in the first battles according to Chinese state media, and there were reports of casualties.[16] By April 17, hospitals in the city were receiving an overflow of patients, and most victims were being transferred to the police hospital. Deadly attacks took place in El Jama neighborhood as well.[17] In Abu Shouk refugee camp and El Fasher, eleven people were killed and ninety were injured. In response, Governor Abdelrahman announced the creation of a burial committee to quell the clashes.[17] Electricity was cut off in the city, and the main market and livestock market were both destroyed.[17] The airport was closed as well.[18] Civilians in El Fasher reported that RSF forces controlled El Manhal refugee camp and el-Ghaba neighborhood, while SAF controlled the General Command headquarters and neighborhoods around El Manhal and El Ghaba.[17]

Reports surfaced on April 18 of thirty-one Indian citizens stranded in El Fasher, prompting the Indian government to launch Operation Kaveri.[19] Médecins Sans Frontières reported that 136 injured people were brought to their facilities in El Fasher, although it was becoming increasingly more difficult to treat them.[18] The organization also claimed many of the wounded are civilians hit by stray bullets.[20] Some civilians in the area, speaking to Al Jazeera, claimed that while both SAF and RSF forces took casualties, RSF had taken more. The witness also stated dozens of bodies were on the streets, unable to be picked up.[21] One Indian citizen was killed by a stray bullet.[22] MSF also claimed that by April 21, over 44 people had been killed and 279 wounded.[20][23] The Sudanese Doctor's Syndicate reported nine killed and 36 injured in the city at their hospitals.[24] Both MSF and the SDS claimed there were not enough supplies to last three weeks.[25]

Several hospitals were looted in the city, including the pediatric hospital.[23] The Abu Shouk refugee camp, home to over 100,000 displaced people, was burnt to the ground by late April, along with the main market in El Fasher.[26] Satellite images also revealed tanks and unknown forces residing in residential areas.[26]

On April 20, RSF and SAF commanders in El Fasher agreed to an three day ceasefire, brokered by the civilian Good Offices Committee.[27][28] In the ceasefire, SAF would hold positions west of the city, and RSF would hold ones in the east, while the center of El Fasher would become demilitarized, only patrolled by police. Neighborhoods and international organization headquarters would become entrusted to rebel movements such as the remnants of JEM and SLA, both signatories of the Juba Peace Agreement.[27] The truce was extended to be indefinite on April 23.[29]

The day of April 24 was calm, except for some small clashes in the north of the city.[30] However, while civilian life was able to return to normal, prices and inflation skyrocketed, and goods were still scarce.[30] The Um Defsoa market, one of the city's main markets, returned to normal, although the Jebel Marra market and Kutum markets were both too burnt to operate.[31] The next day, prisoners from Shala Prison were released, except those with the death penalty, by an Arab militia.[32][33] Some robberies took place on April 24, killing four people total.[32] The North Darfur Ministry of Health released a statement on April 28 stating 62 civilians were killed, including 13 children, and over 282 others were injured as a result of the clashes.[34]

While the Abdelsalam Centre Hospital was able to reopen during the truce, the South Hospital was still in a dire situation.[35] All hospitals were then able to reopen in the following days.[28] By May 4, Operation Kaveri had successfully ended, and the Indian government extracted all Indian nationals from the city.[36] Minni Minnawi, governor of West Darfur, brought his troops back to El Fasher on May 9 after negotiations failed in Khartoum.[37]

On May 12, the ceasefire fell apart, and clashes renewed in El Fasher.[29] RSF came under control of several neighborhoods, and in the center of the city, looting and extrajudicial killings became prevalent as money ran out and banks closed.[29] However, on May 14, groups and signatories of the Juba Agreement, along with all five governors of the Darfur states, created a "Joint Darfur Force" deploying troops in the city to hold the truce.[33] The battle has had affected aid from getting to civilians.[38] Clashes broke out again on May 22, with shelling taking place in the eastern neighborhoods under control of the RSF.[39] The clashes took place not long after the Joint Darfur Force returned to Khartoum.[39] The battles died down over the next two days, as a nationwide ceasefire was set to come in effect.[40] However, they restarted on May 25, in the same areas.[40]

By May 29, several parts of the city were either destroyed or burned. By May 26, all roads to the main market in El Fasher were closed, and by May 29, it had been destroyed.[41] Renewed RSF attacks on the northern neighborhoods of El Fasher destroyed several buildings at the El Fasher University.[41] Clashes also took place in Abu Shouk camp.[42] The shelling on May 29 killed three civilians and injured 27 others.[42] On May 30, Minnawi called on civilians in El Fasher to pick up weapons against the RSF.[43] By June 1, El Fasher was relatively calm. The RSF had been forced to withdraw from several areas in the eastern neighborhoods, but still controlled much of them.[44] Governor Nimir Abdelrahman stated that the Committee of Mediators and Elders and the Good Offices Committee had negotiated a ceasefire between the two sides.[45]

Despite the renewed peace after May 29, facilities in the city were damaged during the battle.[46] Hospitals, power, and communications were all down in the city, and fuel prices were exorbitantly high.[46] An influx of refugees made their way to al-Fashir from Tawila, Kutum and the Kassab refugee camp, which the RSF captured in early June.[47][48] On June 7, a commander of the SAF's 6th division defected to the RSF.[49] El Fasher was quiet for most of June, although reinforcements were being brought in from both sides in late June.[50] On June 22, a skirmish between the RSF and SAF killed one person and injured seven others.[51] Repeated armed robberies forced the El Fasher livestock market to close on June 27.[52] Sexual violence and rape cases also skyrocketed amidst the ceasefire, especially in Zamzam refugee camp.[53] Governor Abdelrahman in late June also lauded efforts by the Committee of Mediators and Elders for holding up the ceasefire in El Fasher, and facilitating the arrival of refugees from Kutum and Tawila.[54]

By July, the SAF were in full control of El Fasher, and most markets and public places were closed.[55] The city is dependent on aid from Khartoum, and roads in and out of the city are partially blocked, with armed gangs and robberies prevalent.[55] The South Hospital in al-Fashir was running on meager supplies.[55] The livestock market in El Fasher was also completely out of livestock, destabilizing the already-fragile economy.[56] As a result of the crippled economy, banditry became common in El Fasher, including on the houses of important officials.[57] Flooding in July exacerbated the poverty in El Fasher, as workers attempting to fix a power station in RSF-controlled territory were intimidated by RSF forces.[58] Despite the situation and heavy flooding, around 600,000 refugees still sought refuge in El Fasher due to the lull in fighting.[59] By September, much of El Fasher had little to no access to water.[60]

On August 18, clashes broke out again in the eastern part of the city, the first time since May 30.[61] The renewed clashes broke out between the RSF and the Sudan Liberation Movement - El Foka, under the control of El Sadig El Foka.[60] The Joint Darfur Force stayed relatively silent on the outbreak in clashes, declaring they would only protect the road connecting al-Fashir to Kufra, Libya.[62] By August 19, the clashes had dispersed.[60] However, an August 23 skirmish at the Um Defesu market in El Fasher between policemen and "rebel fighters" injured four rebels.[63]