The United Nations has issued a stark warning that Sudan’s conflict is “spiraling out of control” following the Rapid Support Forces’ (RSF) capture of El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur. Fighting has intensified across North Kordofan, where both the RSF and the Sudanese army continue to mobilize in defiance of ceasefire efforts led by the United States, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates. In El-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan, a deadly attack killed 40 people during a funeral, in what observers believe was an RSF attempt to seize the strategic city linking Khartoum to Darfur.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres described the situation as a “catastrophic crisis,” warning that civilians in El-Fasher face hunger, disease, and violence amid reports of mass executions and sexual assaults. He said hundreds of thousands remain trapped, as hospitals, schools, and homes are targeted in clear violations of humanitarian law. The UN humanitarian office also reported rising insecurity in Kordofan, where residents fear clashes as both sides build up forces.
The RSF’s expanding control across Darfur and Kordofan has effectively divided the country into rival territories, with the army maintaining the north and east. UN officials say the RSF’s actions in Bara and other areas include revenge killings and ethnically driven violence, fueling fears of a deeper national fragmentation. Sudan’s once-united territory now risks becoming a patchwork of warlord-controlled zones.
Meanwhile, the UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report confirmed famine in Kadugli, South Kordofan, and El-Fasher, warning that 20 other towns face similar conditions. Over 21 million people are suffering from acute food insecurity, with projections showing the crisis could persist or worsen through mid-2026, deepening what is already one of the world’s largest humanitarian disasters.
