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Sudanese City Pounded as Analysts Report 'Unprecedented' Combat

Displaced Sudanese in front of their tent at a United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) camp in Gallabat on the Ethiopian border -- the UN says millions of people have been uprooted by Sudan's war - AFP
Displaced Sudanese in front of their tent at a United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) camp in Gallabat on the Ethiopian border -- the UN says millions of people have been uprooted by Sudan's war - AFP
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Sudanese City Pounded as Analysts Report 'Unprecedented' Combat

Displaced Sudanese in front of their tent at a United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) camp in Gallabat on the Ethiopian border -- the UN says millions of people have been uprooted by Sudan's war - AFP
Displaced Sudanese in front of their tent at a United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) camp in Gallabat on the Ethiopian border -- the UN says millions of people have been uprooted by Sudan's war - AFP

Heavy fighting on Saturday shook a Sudanese city besieged by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), witnesses told AFP, as US researchers reported unprecedented and escalating combat in the North Darfur state capital.

El-Fasher is one of five state capitals in Sudan's western Darfur region and the only one not in the hands of the RSF, who have been battling the regular army since April 2023.

The United Nations says the war across much of Sudan has created the world's largest displacement crisis, with millions uprooted, and has led to famine at a displacement camp near El-Fasher.

Darfur has seen some of the war's worst atrocities, and the RSF has besieged El-Fasher since May.

"Neighbourhoods are completely deserted and all you can hear are explosions and missiles," Ibrahim Ishaq, 52, told AFP.

"The central market area has become unliveable because of the intensity of the explosions," said Ishaq, who fled westward from the city on Friday.

Witnesses reported army bombardment south and east of the city on Saturday and said they heard air-defence batteries firing.

The Yale School of Public Health's Humanitarian Research Lab said in a report Friday that its analysis confirmed "unprecedented large-scale combat operations" in El-Fasher within the previous 10 days, "with significant escalation in the past 36 hours" involving both the army and the RSF.

It cited reports that describe "a major multidirectional RSF attack from the northern, eastern, and southern directions" on Thursday.

- 'Reduce to rubble' -

Darfur governor Mini Minawi had on Thursday said on social media platform X that the army had repelled "a large attack" by the RSF. However, RSF said they seized military sites in El-Fasher.

Using satellite imagery and other data, the Yale researchers said they found munition impacts "likely related to high-tempo aerial bombardment" from the regular army, but said other structural damage resulted from "RSF bombardment" and combat activity by both sides.

Whatever the battle's ultimate outcome, current levels of fighting "are likely to effectively reduce what is left of El-Fasher to rubble", the Yale study said.

The United States special envoy for Sudan, Tom Perriello, on Saturday said on X: "We are extremely concerned about the RSF's renewed attacks."

He urged the RSF "to stop its assault".

It was not immediately possible to determine the number of victims.

Sudan's war has already killed tens of thousands of people, with some estimates as high as 150,000, according to Perriello.

In the capital Khartoum on Saturday, around 800 kilometres (500 miles) from El-Fasher, witnesses reported heavy explosions and strikes to the city's south.

Independent UN experts earlier this month appealed for deployment of an "impartial force" to be urgently deployed in Sudan for civilian protection.

Sudan's foreign ministry, loyal to the army, rejected the idea.

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Lavrov: Moscow Maintains Communication with Damascus, Will Not Withdraw from the Region

Syrian forces stop a car at a checkpoint after taking control of the port of Tartus earlier this month. (AFP)
Syrian forces stop a car at a checkpoint after taking control of the port of Tartus earlier this month. (AFP)
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Lavrov: Moscow Maintains Communication with Damascus, Will Not Withdraw from the Region

Syrian forces stop a car at a checkpoint after taking control of the port of Tartus earlier this month. (AFP)
Syrian forces stop a car at a checkpoint after taking control of the port of Tartus earlier this month. (AFP)

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reaffirmed Russia’s commitment to the Middle East, stating that Moscow “has not and will not withdraw from the region.” He emphasized ongoing communication with Syria’s new leadership and expressed readiness to support the political process in the country.

Speaking at a press conference in Moscow on Tuesday, Lavrov attributed Syria’s deteriorating situation to the previous regime, blaming its unwillingness to implement reforms and share power with the opposition.

“The refusal of the former Syrian regime to make any changes or share power with the opposition was one of the primary reasons for its collapse,” he said.

Lavrov noted that over the past decade, since President Bashar al-Assad requested Russian intervention in the Syrian war and the launch of the Astana peace process, Damascus had delayed advancing the political path.

“Despite support from Arab nations, Syrian authorities showed reluctance to move forward politically and sought to maintain the status quo,” he explained.

He highlighted Russia’s repeated calls for the Syrian government to engage with the Constitutional Committee, established during the 2018 Syrian National Dialogue Congress in Sochi, and to actively work on drafting a new constitution.

Lavrov also pointed to economic challenges exacerbated by sanctions, which have stifled Syria’s economy, and US control over oil-rich eastern regions. Resources were exploited to fuel separatist ambitions in northeastern Syria, he remarked.

Moreover, the FM revealed details of Moscow’s earlier discussions with Kurdish groups, reiterating his country’s position that Kurdish rights should be guaranteed within the constitutional frameworks of Syria, Iraq, Iran and Türkiye.

He argued that the previous Syrian regime’s reluctance to engage in political dialogue resulted in stalled reforms proposed by the United Nations, Moscow and Cairo platforms, and Istanbul-based opposition groups. This inaction, he said, created a vacuum that ultimately led to the collapse.

Furthermore, he dismissed claims that his country’s withdrawal from Syria would signal its departure from the Middle East.

“Russia has not and will not leave the region,” he declared. Without directly addressing the status of Russian military bases in Syria, Lavrov emphasized: “Our embassy never left Damascus, and we maintain ongoing communication with the authorities.”

He also stressed Russia’s willingness to facilitate inclusive dialogue involving all national, political and sectarian factions, as well as relevant international stakeholders. Lavrov underscored that recent discussions with Türkiye, Gulf nations, and other parties demonstrated widespread agreement that Russia and Iran must be involved in the Syrian peace process if sustainable results are to be achieved.

For his part, Mikhail Bogdanov, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister and Special Presidential Envoy to the Middle East and Africa, reaffirmed Russia’s focus on developments in Syria, describing relations with Damascus as a “priority of Russian foreign policy.”

Reports on Tuesday suggested that Bogdanov might soon lead a Russian delegation to Damascus. However, a Russian diplomatic source informed Asharq Al-Awsat that no date for the visit has been confirmed. The visit, which was reportedly postponed, would mark the first by a senior Russian official to Damascus since the fall of Assad’s regime in December.

Meanwhile, media reports indicated that Moscow is facing logistical challenges in withdrawing military equipment from Syria, due to restrictions imposed by Syrian authorities on the movement of Russian ships in territorial waters.

According to the English-language edition of RT, the Russian ship Sparta 2, designated to transport military equipment and weapons, was denied entry to the Port of Tartus, where Russia maintains its only overseas naval base.