Sudan’s RSF Says it Seized Key Army Base in El Fasher

26 October 2025

RSF fighters flash victory signs outside the army's 6th Infantry Division headquarters in El Fasher on October 26, 2025.

October 26, 2025 (EL FASHER) – The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) announced on Sunday it had taken complete control of the 6th Infantry Division command in El Fasher, the Sudanese army’s main base in North Darfur state, following fierce battles.

Since April 2024, El Fasher has been subjected to repeated attacks and a siege by the RSF, which aims to control the city. Activists and local sources accuse the RSF of using mercenaries from South Sudan and Colombia, some of whom are said to operate drones and the heavy artillery that bombards the city daily.

An RSF spokesperson said in a statement that its forces “managed to liberate the 6th Division in El Fasher, breaking the back of the army and its allies by establishing full control over this strategic military base.” He called the development a significant turning point and “a step on the path to building a new state that all Sudanese will participate in establishing according to their aspirations for freedom, peace, and justice.”

The statement added that the RSF is coordinating with a “founding government” to protect civilians, facilitate the return of the displaced, and ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid.

In contrast, a spokesperson for the popular resistance in El Fasher, Abubakr Al-Imam, rejected the RSF’s claim. In a post on his Facebook page, he affirmed that “the people of El Fasher are still standing firm and defending their land and dignity with all bravery.”

He added that El Fasher “is currently being subjected to a misleading and exposed media campaign aimed at creating panic and terror,” based on the RSF’s assumption “that entering the division’s headquarters means the fall of El Fasher.”

Field sources told Sudan Tribune that the army withdrew from its headquarters at the division command on Saturday evening, retreating towards the Al-Daraja Al-Ula neighbourhood in the west of the city after intense RSF shelling.

The army command has not officially commented on the military developments in El Fasher, but pro-army platforms have stated that battles are still ongoing.

Over the past three days, the RSF had made rapid advances towards the division’s headquarters, taking control of the North Darfur government secretariat, the ministerial complex, and several government institutions near the military base, tightening its siege.

Platforms affiliated with the RSF broadcast video clips showing their members inside the 6th Division command headquarters, which appeared to be extensively damaged.

Rights groups and residents accuse the RSF of committing widespread violations against civilians while trying to seize the city, destroying markets and hospitals, and targeting shelters and free food kitchens, which has led to a large number of civilian deaths and exacerbated the humanitarian crisis.