El Fasher faces imminent attack as RSF deadline expires Wednesday

January 21, 2025 (EL FASHER) – The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have issued a 48-hour ultimatum for the Sudanese army and its allies to surrender El Fasher, expiring tomorrow, raising fears of an impending assault on the city.

Despite facing daily artillery fire from the RSF targeting civilian infrastructure and displacement camps, the joint forces defending El Fasher, comprised of the Sudanese army, allied armed movements, and local resistance, remain defiant. They have vowed to repel any attack.

“Our forces are fully prepared to confront any attempt by the RSF to approach the capital of North Darfur,” said Ahmed Hussein Mustafa, spokesperson for the joint forces.

Intense fighting continues along the Sudan-Libya-Chad border as both sides vie for control of crucial supply routes. The outcome of these battles could significantly influence the fight for El Fasher.

Concerns are growing over reports of the RSF receiving military reinforcements from Libya. However, Mustafa dismissed the RSF’s ultimatum as a “desperate attempt” to mask their battlefield setbacks. He claimed the joint forces have thwarted over 170 RSF attacks on El Fasher, inflicting heavy losses, including over 15,000 fighters and several commanders.

Mustafa accused the United Arab Emirates of supporting the RSF with advanced weaponry, military expertise, and mercenaries from Africa, South America, and Eastern Europe. He alleged that over 300 foreign mercenaries, mostly Colombians, had been killed in the fighting.

Unable to breach the city’s defences, the RSF has resorted to indiscriminate shelling of civilian areas, including the Zamzam and Naivasha IDP camps, according to Mustafa.

El Fasher has been engulfed in conflict since May, resulting in numerous civilian casualties and displacing over 500,000 people. The RSF aims to seize the historic capital of Darfur, one of the last remaining strongholds of the central government in the region.