Sudanese Army Repels RSF Attack on El Fasher
Sudan Events – Agencies
Military sources told Al Jazeera that the Sudanese army repelled a major assault by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) early Monday targeting its defensive positions in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state.
According to the sources, RSF units launched heavy artillery and strategic drone strikes at dawn, hitting several neighborhoods in the city, including the First Class district in western El Fasher. Intermittent clashes also broke out in the northern, southern, and eastern outskirts of the city.
The sources added that El Fasher has come under repeated artillery and drone attacks in recent days, leaving civilian casualties and worsening the humanitarian situation inside the besieged city.
Severe Water Shortages
Local sources told Al Jazeera that El Fasher is facing an acute shortage of drinking water. They described the situation as critical, warning of a complete collapse of the city’s water supply. Most wells have gone out of service — either due to the inability to carry out maintenance for security reasons, or because of a lack of electricity after solar power systems were stolen or destroyed.
The food situation is also dire, the sources said. Residents survive on limited meals, with the cost of a single dish reaching around $35 — a sum unaffordable for most families in the city.
El Fasher has been under RSF siege for more than 500 days, during which fierce battles between the two sides have left thousands dead and wounded, and displaced over half a million people to nearby towns and villages.
The escalation comes as Sudan’s devastating war between the army and the RSF, which erupted in mid-April 2023, continues to rage. According to UN estimates, more than 20,000 people have been killed and over 15 million displaced internally or forced to flee abroad. A study by U.S. universities, however, has put the death toll closer to 130,000.
Source: Al Jazeera
