Fall of el-Fasher Deepens Sudan Fragmentation as Army Chief Orders Withdrawal
KHARTOUM, Sudan: Sudan’s army chief, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has announced the withdrawal of government troops from their last remaining stronghold in Darfur.
General al-Burhan made the announcement yesterday, just a day after the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) claimed the capture of the main Sudanese army base in el-Fasher.
The army’s retreat means that over 250,000 civilians in the area are now under the control of the RSF. The fall of el-Fasher is widely viewed as a development that could deepen the fragmentation of Sudan.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has weighed in on the crisis, describing the recent developments as a “terrible escalation” in the ongoing conflict.