In brief
Recent satellite images show that extensive earthen walls are being constructed around el-Fasher, Sudan, with over 31 kilometers of berms identified. This strategic move by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) intensifies the siege conditions on the city, which has been under attack for over a year. Despite efforts to flee, civilians face deadly repercussions, as humanitarian access remains severely restricted.
An extensive earthen wall is being built around the besieged Sudanese city of el-Fasher and is intended to trap people inside, according to research from Yale University. From satellite images, the university's Humanitarian Research Lab has identified more than 31 km (19 miles) of 'berms' - as the raised banks are known - constructed since May in territory outside the city occupied by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). El-Fasher, under siege for more than a year, is the last major foothold in Darfur for the army, which has been battling the RSF since April 2023.The Sudan Doctors Network has told the BBC that the RSF is intensifying its offensive there and deliberately targeting civilians. 'Yesterday there was a shelling in a civilian area down in the city centre that ended up killing almost 24 civilians and injuring 55 people, among them five women,' Dr Mohamed Faisal Hassan, from the medics association, told the BBC's Newsday programme. The attacks on the central market and a residential area were described as 'deliberate' and 'heinous'.BBC Verify states that both sides in the conflict have been using berms as a defensive strategy. However, analysis from Yale's Humanitarian Research Lab suggests the RSF is creating a literal 'kill box' around el-Fasher.As the RSF continues to fortify its positions with these earthen walls, conditions for approximately 300,000 residents in el-Fasher have worsened. Humanitarian access has been all but cut off, leading to severe shortages of food and medical supplies. Civilians face an impossible choice between risky attempts to flee or staying in life-threatening conditions.With the construction of these barriers ongoing, experts warn that el-Fasher's fall could mean complete RSF control over Darfur, significantly altering the balance of power in Sudan.
