Darfuri leaders hold talks to address El Fasher siege, conflict fears

April 22, 2025 (CAIRO) – Political leaders and figures from armed groups in Sudan’s Darfur region are holding consultations aimed at mitigating the humanitarian impact of the siege imposed by paramilitary forces on El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, and preventing a slide into wider conflict.

The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have besieged El Fasher for nearly a year, blocking food and medical supplies. The situation in the city has become highly critical amid daily shelling by artillery and drones.

Al-Sadiq Ali Hassan, a member of the initiative, told Sudan Tribune on Tuesday that “a group of Darfuris has initiated intensive consultations and contacted several parties to mitigate the disastrous impact of the El Fasher siege.”

The initiative aims to facilitate humanitarian aid, prevent Darfur from escalating into a wider civil war, and ultimately halt the conflict, Hassan said.

Humanitarian agencies estimate 79% of Darfur’s population requires aid and protection this year, particularly in camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) where hunger and malnutrition are rife. Warring parties continue to restrict relief delivery.

The idea for the consultations was proposed by Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Suleiman and has drawn support from prominent Darfuri political, civil, and community leaders, Hassan explained.

Participants reportedly include Ali al-Hajj (Popular Congress Party Secretary-General), Mohammed Abdullah al-Doma (National Umma Party leader), Salih Mahmoud (Sudanese Communist Party leader), Abdullah Harran (deputy head of the Sudan Liberation Movement faction led by Abdel Wahid al-Nur, SLM-AW), and Mahmoud Korbina (assistant head for legal affairs in the SLM faction led by Minni Arko Minnawi, SLM-MM), among others.

Hassan said the consultations are still in a preliminary, trust-building phase, with expectations to broaden their scope to address the national conflict, which threatens to plunge Sudan into all-out war.

The talks maintain a national focus aimed at preserving Sudan’s unity, Hassan stressed.

His comments come amid reports that the RSF is working to form a parallel government and plans to issue new currency and identity documents after signing onto a coalition with allies to establish a new constitution, fuelling fears of the country’s partition.