RSF claims capture of al-Fashir Sixth Division HQ in Darfur

Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces said on Sunday they had seized the Sudanese army’s Sixth Infantry Division headquarters in the besieged city of al-Fashir in North Darfur, a claim that, if confirmed, would remove the army’s last major foothold in the western region. The army had not issued an immediate comment and independent verification of the RSF’s statement remained limited amid ongoing heavy fighting in and around the city.

The RSF released a statement and footage showing fighters at the military compound and said the move marked a “pivotal milestone” in its campaign to consolidate control across Darfur. Local forces allied with the army, known as the Popular Resistance, disputed the significance of the claim and said they continued to fight RSF units inside and around al-Fashir, warning that the capture of the division headquarters did not equate to full control of the city.

Al-Fashir has been under siege by the RSF for roughly 18 months, leaving hundreds of thousands of civilians trapped, cut off from aid, and reliant on intermittent satellite internet. United Nations figures cited in reporting put the number of people still inside the city at about 250,000 to...