Fashir Al-Sultan: The Story of a City That Resisted Rebellion
Sudan Events – Agencies
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia bombarded the Olad Al-Reef neighborhood in central El Fasher with four high-explosive rockets, resulting in the deaths of three civilians and severe injuries to over 20 others. The militia continues to target civilian structures and residential areas in El Fasher after failing to capture the city. Hundreds of RSF soldiers and dozens of their commanders have been killed at the city’s gates. Meanwhile, the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Joint Forces maintain control over the city, despite ongoing bombardments by the RSF, which has ignored repeated UN calls to cease its attacks on El Fasher.
Thousands of Civilians and Displaced Persons
El Fasher hosts thousands of local residents and displaced persons fleeing states overrun by RSF forces. Numerous displacement camps surround the city, but these camps have also faced RSF attacks aimed at displacing and scattering civilians. Since May, the RSF has launched 174 assaults on El Fasher, all of which were repelled by the army and the Joint Forces.
UN Resolution
In June, the UN Security Council issued Resolution 2736 under Chapter VI, calling for de-escalation in North Darfur. The resolution urged the RSF to lift its siege of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, and withdraw all fighters threatening civilian safety and security, in compliance with international humanitarian law. However, the RSF has disregarded these international appeals, continuing its assault on the historic city.
Government Demands
The Sudanese government has called on the international community to take urgent measures to pressure states supporting the RSF with weapons and military equipment. The government asserts that these arms are used daily to kill innocent people in Darfur and across Sudan, posing a threat to both regional and international peace.
The Sixth Infantry Division Holds the Line
The Sixth Infantry Division of the Sudanese Armed Forces has been issuing updates to keep the public informed about the situation in El Fasher. The division reported that the army and Joint Forces successfully repelled RSF attempts to infiltrate the city from the south, inflicting heavy losses on the militia in both personnel and equipment. The remaining RSF fighters fled eastward.
In its latest briefing, the Sixth Infantry Division stated that RSF shelling of southwestern neighborhoods backfired, striking their own forces in the southwest, killing 20 mercenaries, destroying seven combat vehicles, and liberating 10 hostages, including both men and women. These hostages had been abducted by the RSF and forced to dig trenches near their assembly points south of the city.
Air Support
The Sixth Infantry Division revealed that the Air Force carried out successful airstrikes on RSF gatherings and movements northeast of the city on Saturday, forcing 25 combat vehicles to flee and causing significant RSF casualties. The army also destroyed seven RSF drones and captured four others in good condition. Special Forces conducted a successful frontline operation, seizing a fully equipped combat vehicle and burning another double-cabin pickup truck. Eyewitnesses reported three RSF vehicles carrying wounded and dead fighters retreating southwest of the city. The division added that internal divisions within the RSF continue to grow, leading to withdrawals from battles due to unpaid salaries and lack of food and medical supplies.
Situation Under Control
The leadership of the Sixth Infantry Division assured the public that the situation in El Fasher is under control, with forces firmly stationed on the battlefield, upholding the motto: “Victory or Martyrdom.”
Friendly Fire
The division also reported that an RSF error resulted in the accidental shelling of their own forces in the southwestern axis of the city. This incident led to the death of at least 20 mercenaries, the destruction of seven combat vehicles, and the release of several hostages who were being used as human shields.
