A Sudanese doctor recounts his harrowing escape from a Darfur city under rebel bombardment

Three months after the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) seized el-Fasher, the Sudanese army's last stronghold in Darfur, details of the brutality are emerging. Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim, a Sudanese doctor, recounts his escape from the besieged city, describing streets filled with bodies and constant bombardment. He fled el-Fasher's last functioning hospital with a colleague amidst the fighting. The city, capital of North Darfur province, was engulfed in smoke and fire due to the ongoing conflict. Dr. Ibrahim now resides in the Rwanda refugee camp in Tawila, Darfur. His account highlights the dire situation and violence inflicted by the RSF after 18 months of fighting.

In October 2025, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) launched a three-day assault on el-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur province in Sudan, ending an 18-month siege. Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim, a physician who fled the city's last functioning hospital, recounted the experience as feeling like "judgement day." He described civilians being targeted as they attempted to escape the RSF's advance. The RSF and the Sudanese army have been engaged in a civil war since April 2023, resulting in widespread displacement and a humanitarian crisis. The UN and human rights groups have reported mass killings and ethnic cleansing following the attack, prompting war crimes investigations and international sanctions. Ibrahim's account provides a rare, detailed first-person perspective on the violence in el-Fasher.