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By: Fathalrahman Hamouda of Al-Taghyeer for Sudan Media Forum

Salima*, a woman who had to leave her home, once moved through the narrow streets of El Fasher as if walking on the remnants of a city that had perished. In the early mornings, she remembers, the sound of her steps mixed with the noise of artillery and the hum of drones. Nearby were homes left behind by families escaping danger, and others destroyed by powerful weapons. Beside her was her daughter, whom she attempted to comfort, telling her that things would soon get better and that they would endure.

Talking to Al-Taghyeer after escaping El Fasher — a city that turned into a conflict zone between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) — Salima was not just sharing her own sorrow. Her account provides a glimpse into thousands of comparable human experiences endured by those who managed to flee, carrying unforgettable memories of a city that eventually came under RSF control.

El Fasher faced its most difficult times when it was under a severe attack by the RSF. At the same time, the Sudanese army and their allies held their ground in the region, resulting in a serious worsening of humanitarian situations for the local population.

The city experienced a harsh siege and intense combat between the military forces and their allies — especially the Joint Forces associated with the movements led by Minni Arko Minnawi, head of the Sudan Liberation Movement, and Jibril Ibrahim, leader of the Justice and Equality Movement — against the RSF. The fight for El Fasher was especially severe because of its key strategic position in Darfur, along with deep-seated ethnic tensions between the Minnawi and Jibril groups and the RSF regarding control of the area.

El Fasher also hosts displacement camps that provide refuge for hundreds of thousands of individuals affected by the ongoing conflict in Darfur, which initially began in 2003.

Experts have strongly condemned the Sudanese military for turning down a proposed humanitarian ceasefire suggested by the so-called “Quartet” and for deciding to keep fighting even though military signs indicated that El Fasher was probably going to be captured. Opponents claim that a planned retreat by the army and its partners could have saved the lives of both troops and civilians.

As reported by human rights groups, El Fasher experienced extensive abuses prior to and following the RSF’s takeover. While the global community observed from a distance, residents faced a crushing blockade where living costs surged to record highs and essential services—such as medical care—nearly disappeared due to ongoing, prolonged military actions.

Salima remembers how death and violence turned into everyday occurrences. She states that from six in the morning until six in the evening, intense conflicts never stopped. “Each day, at least 200 to 300 individuals were losing their lives,” she shared with Al-Taghyeer. “It became standard for everyone.”

Unidentified civilian corpses were quickly buried, while other remains were gathered from streets, alleys, trees, and walls. One event continues to be deeply etched in her mind: a shell hit a man, ripping his body apart. “We discovered his right arm, left arm, and head in one location,” she recalled, “and his liver and internal organs in another spot. We never located the remaining parts of him.”

As the conflict continued, Salima notes, violence was not the only danger — starvation quickly came in its wake. The cost of food skyrocketed, making it unaffordable: a kilogram of flour was priced at 60,000 Sudanese pounds, a cup of rice at 70,000, and half a pound of sugar at 10,000. Even a single bar of soap was valued at 70,000 pounds. (At that time, one US dollar was roughly equal to 3,550 Sudanese pounds.)

Her choice to depart the city happened when remaining was no longer feasible. There was a lack of food, no medical supplies, and no sense of security. On what was supposed to be a normal day, intense fighting broke out as they tried to escape, compelling them to stay flat on the ground for an entire hour before they could proceed.

After the fighting stopped, they started their escape—only to discover the road covered in dead bodies. No one had the courage to bury them; anyone attempting faced the danger of being killed due to ongoing heavy artillery bombardment.

Throughout the escape path, thirst and hunger posed a danger to their survival. The journey was extensive, with no shelter and no means of transportation. At one moment, a vehicle operated by an RSF soldier halted and picked up women, children, and those who could not walk, instructing them to leave their possessions behind.

Salima walked with a group of escaping civilians for four straight hours until they arrived at the Qarni region, after which they proceeded to different places. According to her, it was a trip filled with risk and unpredictability.

She also describes how a group of 75 young men was arrested all at once before their eyes, accused of being part of the Sudanese army or allied groups. Tired from hunger and thirst, they could hardly sit, and they were kept for hours until three military vehicles arrived and took them away to an unspecified location.

By the next day, none of the arrested men had come back. Salima was informed that they were probably going to be forced to join the RSF in combat – or else they might be killed.

Her narrative follows the path that runs through Abuja, Hadda, Turba, and Um Shujaira, heading toward Zamzam camp and ultimately reaching Tawila, where hundreds of thousands of displaced individuals have found shelter. As she describes it, the road was filled with numerous swollen and decaying bodies, some being consumed by animals such as dogs.

Among the most disturbing scenes, she remembers, were at least 12 corpses of young women, who seemed to have been murdered no more than two days prior.

When they arrived at Tawila, local people warmly received the displaced families, offering them food in the morning and again later in the day. However, their hardship continued. Essential supplies are still limited, especially toilets, which means families and their children have to go outside to relieve themselves.

*Salima is a pseudonym used to safeguard the identity of the interviewee.

This document is released by the Sudan Media Forum and its affiliated organizations, compiled by Al-Taghyeer newspaper. It presents a portion of the significant hardship faced by residents in El Fasher during the peak of clashes between the Sudanese military and the Rapid Support Forces. The city witnessed extensive abuses prior to and following its capture, endured a severe blockade characterized by rising costs and the breakdown of essential services, and suffered a substantial loss of life — with many people killed, families displaced, and numerous civilians compelled to flee their homes.

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