RSF accused of using drone-delivered toxic gas on civilians in El Fasher
October 6, 2025 (EL FASHER) – Sudan’s army and civilian groups on Monday accused the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of using toxic gas delivered by drones in El Fasher, the besieged capital of North Darfur, after residents reported strange smells and symptoms including vomiting and convulsions.
The accusations were amplified by the El Fasher Resistance Committees, a local activist group, which said the RSF launched “strange projectiles” from drones on Saturday. The group cited eyewitnesses who reported “strange and strong smells” and said medical sources confirmed patients’ symptoms indicated exposure to chemical agents.
Medical sources told activists that a number of people were taken to a hospital after suffering convulsions, hallucinations, and vomiting from inhaling the gas. They claimed the toxic substances were delivered via suicide drones equipped with aluminium cylinders and small plastic canisters.
The Sudanese army said it found similar canisters emitting large amounts of smoke after a suicide drone exploded inside its main base in the city. A military source told Sudan Tribune the materials were being examined to confirm if they contained toxic gases.
The Minister of Information for the Darfur regional government, Abdel Aziz Suleiman, condemned the alleged attacks. “As its last remaining card, the RSF militia has resorted to launching toxic gases on civilian gatherings,” Suleiman told Sudan Tribune.
He argued the goal was to “annihilate the remaining citizens” or force their displacement from El Fasher and called for international action to protect the more than 260,000 civilians trapped in the city.
The claims were echoed by Hassan Saber Juma, a local official with the Humanitarian Aid Commission, who told Sudan Tribune his office had “received confirmed reports indicating the RSF’s use of internationally banned weapons in various parts of El Fasher.”
The RSF has been trying to capture El Fasher, the army’s last stronghold in the Darfur region, since May 2024. Its forces have continuously shelled civilian targets with artillery and drones, destroying markets, water sources, and hospitals.