Darfur governor says South Sudan mercenaries lead attack on El Fasher

October 23, 2025 (EL FASHER) – The governor of Sudan’s Darfur region, Minni Minawi, accused the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on Thursday of using mercenaries from neighbouring South Sudan to lead a renewed assault on the city of El Fasher.

The RSF launched a fresh attack on the North Darfur capital at dawn after a period of relative calm. The army and allied armed groups, including one led by Minawi, said they repelled the assault and inflicted heavy losses.

“The RSF has exhausted its fighters and has nothing left but to use mercenaries. Today, those fighting in El Fasher are South Sudanese, and the losses are severe,” Minawi, who also heads the Sudan Liberation Movement, wrote on social media platform X.

He warned that the fall of El Fasher, the army’s last stronghold in the vast Darfur region, could have serious consequences for South Sudan’s stability.

Since April 2024, El Fasher has been repeatedly attacked by the RSF. Activists and local sources have previously accused the group of deploying mercenaries from South Sudan and Colombia, alleging some operate drones and the heavy artillery used to bombard the city daily.

Videos circulated by activists weeks ago appeared to show South Sudanese fighters with the RSF threatening residents and vowing to use heavy weapons to force them to flee the city.