A major turning point has emerged in Sudan’s civil war, which began in April 2023, as the city of El Fasher in Darfur—under siege for 18 months—has been captured, with reports of widespread civilian massacres shocking the world. Among the worst incidents, a maternity hospital reportedly saw 460 patients and attendants shot, including women and children.
The conflict erupted on April 15, 2023, rooted in political and military tensions between current head of state and transitional sovereign council chairman Abdel Fattah Abdelrahman Burhan and former deputy chairman Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, following a 2019 coup.
The civil war pits Burhan’s Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) against Dagalo’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), resulting so far in over 150,000 deaths and 14 million people displaced.
On October 26, the RSF overtook the government’s last stronghold in Darfur, El Fasher, after 18 months of siege. Within 48 hours of the takeover, the SAF reported that the RSF executed more than 2,000 unarmed civilians, including elderly and children. Darfur’s population largely comprises non-Arab communities, raising fears of a repeat of ethnic-targeted violence seen 20 years ago. Satellite imagery analysis by Yale University’s Humanitarian Research Lab (HRL) indicates that the attacks on El Fasher appear to be systematic and targeted at non-Arab groups, suggesting possible ethnic cleansing.
A particularly tragic incident occurred at the Saudi Maternity Hospital on October 28, where over 460 patients and accompanying family members were reportedly shot dead inside the hospital, including women and children.
The World Health Organization (WHO) condemned the attacks, stating, “Escalating violence, continued sieges, food shortages, and disease are claiming the lives of many civilians, including children, pushing the already fragile healthcare system to the brink of collapse. We strongly denounce these attacks on medical facilities and call on all parties to respect the sanctity of healthcare institutions.” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also called for an immediate halt to escalating military operations.
As of today, international mediation efforts have yet to ease the conflict, with the UN describing the situation in Sudan as the world’s most severe humanitarian crisis. Analysts warn that Sudan is effectively divided, making future reconstruction extremely challenging.
