Sudan's RSF claims full control of Al Fasher as clashes rage in Darfur

Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has said it had seized full control of Al Fasher, the last major urban centre in western Darfur outside its control, as fierce clashes continued between the army and the paramilitary.

The announcement on Sunday came just hours after the RSF claimed it had captured the army's main base in the city, which it has besieged since May 2024.

The Popular Resistance in Al Fasher, a group allied with the army, said the city “is still holding out against RSF attacks.”

The Al Fasher Resistance Committees, a civilian group, confirmed that the city is witnessing fierce fighting between the army and RSF forces.

In a statement on Sunday, the group said it had "extended control over the city of Al Fasher from the grip of mercenaries and militias," referring to the Sudanese army, which it has been fighting since April 2023.

AFP could not independently verify the claim, and the army and its allies did not respond to requests for comment.

Access to the region remains extremely limited due to intense fighting.

Local pro-army fighters, the Popular Resistance, accused the RSF of running a "media disinformation campaign" to weaken morale, insisting residents were still "resisting in the face of terrorist militias".

The local resistance committee, a pro-democracy group, said the targeted infantry division, the Sixth Division, was "just empty buildings," with the army now based in "more fortified positions".