From Exile, I Witnessed El Fasher's Fall
A Darfuri journalist recounts his family's ordeal after the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) seized El Fasher.
Watching from Afar
I write this from Kampala, nearly 2,000 kilometres from my home in El Fasher, Sudan. The city fell to the RSF after an 18-month siege. From exile, I try to understand what happened through messages, photos, and the fragmented voices of survivors.
The Morning of the Attack
On Sunday, 26 October, I woke early at 5 a.m., listening to rain hitting my window. After dawn prayer, I checked family WhatsApp groups for news from those still trapped in El Fasher, one of Darfur’s largest cities.
The first message came from my cousin Ahmed, called “Adrub”:
“El Fasher is under unprecedented attack. Pray for us.”
I assumed it was another RSF assault, as there had been many over the past year and a half.
The Fall of the City
But soon, news came that the RSF had taken control of the national army headquarters in El Fasher and claimed the city. Despite this, the family group fell silent for hours.
At 4 p.m., my uncle Abdulaziz shared a photo showing Adrub, the cousin who had asked for prayers that morning. I quickly verified the photo’s details using several apps.
Summary
This personal account highlights the devastating impact of the RSF’s takeover on families locked inside El Fasher, conveyed through scarce and fragmented communications.
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