El-Fasher… Africa’s Stalingrad

As I See It

Adel El-Baz

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For a long time, I have been captivated by novels chronicling the First and Second World Wars—especially those crafted by Soviet writers, works that exposed the moral bankruptcy and hypocrisy of European “civilization.” Among the most compelling is The Burning Snow, followed by its sequel Life and Fate by Soviet journalist and novelist Vasily Grossman. The events revolve around the Battle of Stalingrad at its peak (Winter 1942–1943) and the human struggle against totalitarian regimes, whether Nazi or Stalinist. Grossman brilliantly drew a parallel between the political evils of Nazism and Stalinism.

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I’m not sure why those novels came to mind as I watched the astonishingly heroic resilience of El-Fasher—a city that has endured without water, food, or supplies under a relentless “Janjaweed-Nazi” siege lasting more than two years. In my mind, The Burning Snow resurfaced, documenting Stalingrad’s steadfastness on the banks of the Volga in the former Soviet Union. One day, El-Fasher will have its own story to be told—a saga of legendary resistance against the barbaric onslaught of today’s new savages. The late Egyptian poet Ahmed Abdel-Mo’ti Hegazi had described such “barbarians” with prophetic precision:

Barbarians, cast from the deserts into a promised refuge;
their dogs howl within, and merchants roam with their herds,
advancing like swarms of locusts;
their faces like crows,
their eyes molten,
their legs like bulls;
they trample the land
and sow ruin in every valley.

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Just as Stalingrad was a pivotal theatre of operations and a symbol of resistance in World War II, El-Fasher today stands as the most strategic and symbolically charged battleground in Sudan. By God’s will, it may reshape both the war and Sudan’s future, much as Stalingrad forever changed Europe. Calling El-Fasher “Africa’s Stalingrad” is not a mere rhetorical flourish—it reflects deep parallels in military geography, moral gravity, and the significance of endurance. Like Stalingrad, it deserves to be at the heart of the international media’s gaze. Yet tragically, the world offers only terse reports, as if this siege were not on par with the suffering that unfolded along the Volga. Breaking this media blackout is imperative, because El-Fasher’s stand is not a local affair—it is a chapter in humanity’s ongoing struggle against barbarism in the 21st century.

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The Battle of Stalingrad (now Volgograd) began on 17 July 1942 and lasted until 2 February 1943. Situated in a strategic location in southwest Russia, control of it would have given Germany the upper hand in the war. The siege of El-Fasher began on 13 April 2024, when militias launched a major offensive, encircling the city and severing all supply routes. The first battles for control took place between 15–20 April 2024. Since then, there have been 227 engagements over two and a half years.

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Today, El-Fasher is a strategic nexus in western Sudan—a logistical and communications hub linking North and West Darfur. Its endurance safeguards Sudan’s western and northern heartlands. Stalingrad’s battle evolved from a struggle over a city into a symbol of Soviet resistance to the Nazi war machine, boosting morale and giving psychological depth to victory. The Soviets prevailed because the city’s residents took up arms, hauled supplies on their backs, and ensured food and medicine reached the soldiers.

El-Fasher has likewise become a symbol of the Sudanese army’s and joint forces’ determination, as well as the will of the entire Sudanese people, under a crushing siege and unrelenting attacks. It has transformed from a dot on the map into a beacon of defiance, redefining the meaning of resilience and resistance in the darkest, most critical moments.

Stalingrad’s siege lasted only 72 days; El-Fasher has endured 840 days so far. While Stalingrad benefited from steady supply lines across the Volga, all routes into El-Fasher have been cut since May 2024. Over 800,000 people are trapped in dire conditions—without water, medicine, or basic necessities. Humanitarian reports speak of acute food shortages, with over 70% of residents surviving on one meal a day, and half of all children suffering from severe malnutrition. Field hospitals operate without medicine; drinkable water is nearly gone.

One mother, trying to soothe her hungry child, told me: “We live on hope… hope has become our daily bread.” Why has this city held out for so long, and how? Perhaps the most beautiful answer came in a video I saw yesterday: a woman from El-Fasher declared, “Fasher Al-Sultan once sent garments to the Holy Kaaba; the Lord of that House will feed us and keep us safe, and that is why we endure.” By God, what faith.

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The Soviet victory at Stalingrad turned the tide of the war, sparking a chain of subsequent triumphs. El-Fasher may play a similar role, serving as a launch point for reclaiming all of Darfur. Comparing it to “Africa’s Stalingrad” is not exaggeration but a reading of striking parallels between two decisive battles. In both, the fight transcends military objectives to become a test of willpower, where the fate of the war hangs at the gates of a city turned into a symbol.

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One figure who fascinated me in Stalingrad’s story was sniper Lyudmila Pavlichenko—one of the most famous in history, with 309 confirmed kills. She reminded me of Dr. Hanadi Al-Nour from Darfur’s El-Fasher, a model of sacrifice and humanity who provided medical care, food, and protection—and even defended her emergency ward with a knife, earning the title “The Judge with the Knife.” Hanadi was not just a doctor but a fighter who defended Zamzam Camp and her patients with unparalleled courage. She will be remembered as a symbol of resilience, her story immortalized in Sudanese and human history, worthy of the highest literary honors.

May God have mercy on Hanadi, the embodiment of El-Fasher’s steadfast spirit. Yesterday, in Kordofan, General Al-Burhan, distributing advanced units, declared: “We have no more words… we meet in Fasher Al-Sultan.” El-Fasher has become the headline—the emblem of impending victory. His words reminded me of the Soviet rallying cry at Stalingrad: “Not one step back.” The Soviets fought street by street until they prevailed—just as we, God willing, will defeat this new Janjaweed-Nazi foe.

Today, El-Fasher is not merely defending itself—it is defending the very idea that the will of a people can break even the harshest siege. As Stalingrad’s victory was not the end of a battle but the beginning of a new chapter in Europe’s history, so too will El-Fasher’s triumph mark the dawn of a just peace and a decisive victory. It will be recorded in history as a compass of hope for future generations, telling them: “Here stood a city, and its people made the future.”