Sudan: Remembering El Fasher, the City I Knew and the Atrocities That Changed It

What the report says

Mohamed Zakaria, writing in The New Humanitarian and republished by AllAfrica, reflects on El Fasher, the North Darfur capital where he was born and worked, one year after the city fell further under attack in the Sudan war. He describes a 500-day siege that began in May 2024 by the Rapid Support Forces, followed by a major assault on 26 October 2025 that, according to his account, led to mass killings, captivity, and widespread displacement. He notes that UN investigators have described the atrocities as genocide.

Zakaria says the humanitarian situation remains severe for the people still inside RSF-held El Fasher, which he places at about 70,000 residents. He reports ongoing hunger, disease, harassment and deaths, with limited aid access. He also emphasizes the pain of not knowing the fate of friends and relatives who fled the city, saying many families remain separated and without answers.

The article also tries to preserve El Fasher’s broader identity beyond wartime devastation. Zakaria recalls the city as socially diverse, culturally active and deeply connected to Darfur’s history, including its role as a center of scholarship and commerce. He describes his family’s ties to the city, his father’s business and community role, and his own work in journalism, photography and peacebuilding before the war. The piece argues that documenting the violence is necessary, but that El Fasher should not be remembered only for the atrocities committed there.