Sudanese troops, allied groups repel RSF attack on El Fasher
January 24, 2025 (EL FASHER) – Sudanese armed forces and allied fighters repelled a major attack by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on El Fasher in North Darfur on Friday, inflicting heavy losses, a military spokesman said.
The fighting began after a 48-hour RSF ultimatum for government troops and their allies to withdraw from El Fasher, the state capital, expired. Witnesses said RSF fighters attempted to push into the city from several directions with a large number of military vehicles.
The forces defending El Fasher – comprising the Sudanese army, local police, and several other armed groups under the banner of the Joint Force – engaged the RSF, who attacked from multiple fronts including the southwestern town of Golo and the northern Milit gate, witnesses added.
Eyewitnesses reported that army warplanes struck Rapid Support Forces positions on the outskirts of El Fasher, with smoke rising from the southwest and northeast of the city.
Lieutenant Colonel Ahmed Hussein Mustafa, a spokesman for the Joint Force, said in a statement that they killed more than 400 RSF fighters and destroyed over 25 military vehicles. He added that 30 other vehicles were captured intact.
The joint force also prevented the RSF from cutting off El Fasher’s water supply by thwarting an attack on the Golo reservoir, the city’s main water source, the statement said.
Mustafa accused the United Arab Emirates of providing military and logistical support to the RSF and called on the international community to intervene.
The governor of the Darfur region, Minni Arko Minawi, said his forces were monitoring RSF movements and warned of a “severe response” to any further attacks.
There was no immediate comment from the RSF.
El Fasher is the last major city in the vast, arid Darfur region not under RSF control. The paramilitary group has been at war with the Sudanese army since April 2023. The conflict has displaced millions and created a severe humanitarian crisis.