Sudan army, allies say they repelled major RSF attack on El Fasher

August 20, 2025 (EL FASHER) – The Sudanese army and allied armed groups said they repelled a major, multi-pronged attack by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, on Wednesday.

The RSF has intensified its assault on the city in recent days, launching a major push to capture the army’s last stronghold in the vast Darfur region.

“Our forces repelled a violent attack launched by the RSF militia and its mercenaries on three fronts: the eastern, northeastern, and northwestern parts of the city,” Ahmed Hussein Mustafa, a spokesman for the joint armed movements force fighting alongside the army, said in a statement.

He said RSF fighters used indiscriminate artillery and drones in an attempt to breach defensive lines from dawn, adding that his forces inflicted “heavy losses” on the attackers, destroying and seizing combat vehicles.

Despite Wednesday’s repelled assault, the RSF has made advances on other fronts in recent days, reaching the vicinity of Shalla prison in the southwest and the Abu Shouk camp for displaced people in the north, according to the original report.

The fighting has worsened an already dire humanitarian crisis in the besieged city. The latest escalation has forced a new wave of displacement from northern neighborhoods and the Abu Shouk camp, residents said.

The RSF has surrounded El Fasher since April 2024, deploying fighters and digging trenches to cut off supply routes. The siege has led to severe shortages of essential goods, including sugar, rice, and salt, as well as life-saving medicines.

Minni Arko Minawi, the governor of Darfur and head of the joint force, said on Facebook that his fighters had “defeated the enemy’s shells and cannons.”