A significant earthen wall is under construction around the besieged Sudanese city of el-Fasher, as reported by Yale University's Humanitarian Research Lab (HRL). Satellite imagery indicates that over 31 kilometers of these raised banks, or berms, have been erected since May 2025, primarily in territories controlled by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
El-Fasher, which has been under siege for over a year, remains the final stronghold of Sudan's armed forces in Darfur, engaged in conflict against the RSF since April 2023. Reports cite that the RSF has increased its offensives against civilians, with medical professionals reporting fatal shelling incidents that have resulted in multiple casualties.
Dr. Mohamed Faisal Hassan from the Sudan Doctors Network expressed grave concerns, citing recent shelling that killed nearly two dozen civilians and injured many others. The RSF has been accused of purposefully targeting civilian infrastructure, including hospitals.
The HRL's analysis suggests that the construction of the wall is a strategic maneuver by the RSF to contain and control el-Fasher, complicating the humanitarian crisis and restricting movement for the city's residents, estimated at around 300,000. With no access for humanitarian organizations for months, civilians are enduring bombardment amidst severe shortages of food and medical supplies.
Efforts for evacuation are fraught with danger, and many, like Halima Hashim, a schoolteacher, feel trapped in a desperate situation. The ongoing wall construction signifies the RSF's tactical objectives to solidify control over the region, with potential implications of further partitioning Sudan as warring factions vie for authority.
The humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate, prompting calls for international intervention to protect the trapped civilians of el-Fasher.
