In a statement on Tuesday, August 26, 2025, the El Fasher Resistance Committees warned that most of the bodies appeared to be victim of deliberate executions for their ties to El Fasher, while others died from hunger and thirst after being stranded in remote areas.
“Civilians in El Fasher are fleeing from the fire of war in search of safe passages and a moment of survival, only to be targeted on the roads,” the committee said.
The statement comes as El Fasher witnessed sporadic clashes on Tuesday in several areas of the city. According to field sources, the fighting did not escalate into large-scale assaults. Meanwhile, a newly advanced drone was spotted flying over the city’s airspace, while traditional drones crashed in different neighborhoods.
Survivor testimonies cited by the Resistance Committees painted a grim picture. Dozens of bodies were seen lying on both sides of the road leading to Tawila, while more than 200 people remain unaccounted for since leaving El Fasher.
The committee reiterated “civilians fleeing the fire of war in El Fasher, seeking safe corridors or a moment of survival, found themselves victims of targeting.”
The disappearances and killings come against a backdrop of uncertainty. The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have repeatedly called on civilians to leave El Fasher, though the security of the roads remains precarious and opaque. The group’s messaging has raised questions about whether civilians are being lured into dangerous routes.
Meanwhile, humanitarian conditions inside the city remain dire. Volunteers working in community kitchens reported severe shortages of food, supplies, and fuel. They said the RSF has maintained a near-total siege on El Fasher for nearly a year, cutting off trade and aid flows.
With food scare, residents have resorted to eating “ambaz,” a type of livestock fodder, in desperate attempts to stave off hunger and survive.
The worsening crisis has dawn political and military attention at the national level. Sudan’s army chief and head of the de facto Sovereignty Council, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, faces growing pressure from allied states to break the siege of El Fasher. However, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and their allied militias are already deeply engaged in intense battles across Kordofan, stretching their capacity.
The plight of El Fasher’s civilians underscores the broader humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Darfur. With reports of forced disappearances, mass killings, and starvation, the city has become emblematic of the war’s toll on ordinary Sudanese who are trapped between two warring sides.
As the situation deteriorates, calls are mounting for both sides to ensure safe humanitarian corridors and allow aid into the besieged city. But for many families of the missing, the most urgent demand remains answers about the fate of their loved ones.
