Sahara sand: Sudan hopes for increased Russian aid after loss of El Fasher
Khartoum is counting on increased assistance from Moscow after the loss of the city of El Fasher, Sudanese Ambassador to Russia Mohammed Sirraj told Izvestia. According to him, the country is facing an acute humanitarian crisis. The key need now is to put pressure on the rapid reaction forces to allow humanitarian aid to pass through, as well as to ensure the supply of food, water, medicines and basic necessities. Russia remains a consistent supporter of the Government of Sudan, the ambassador added. The loss of control over the largest city in Northern Darfur complicates the situation of the central authorities in the west of the country. This makes it difficult to transfer troops and supply forces in areas of combat contact.
Sudan urged to increase pressure on the UAE
Sudan was on the verge of a major humanitarian catastrophe after the fall of El Fasher, which had been under siege for more than a year and a half. Hunger, disease and mass flight of civilians were a direct result of the blockade, the Sudanese Ambassador to Russia Mohammed Sirraj told Izvestia. According to him, it is now very important to increase pressure on the Rapid Reaction Forces (RFS) and force them to provide access for humanitarian convoys to the affected areas.
— Since the beginning of the crisis, Russia has been a reliable ally of Sudan, supporting the legitimacy of the government, national sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country. She consistently supports the republic through international organizations, especially through the UN Security Council. Russia has also provided humanitarian assistance, but in the current situation Khartoum is counting on a further increase in support in all areas from friendly countries such as the Russian Federation," the Sudanese ambassador told Izvestia.
On October 30, a meeting of the Security Council was held, where the Russian Federation opposed attempts to equalize government forces with the rebel group and create parallel government structures in the country.
— The scale of the humanitarian crisis is enormous, especially considering that for more than a year and a half, armed groups have been using hunger as a weapon, spreading hunger, disease and exhaustion among the residents of El Fasher. These formations have prevented the delivery of food and medicine, and therefore there is now an urgent need for food, medical supplies and equipment to accommodate refugees in areas where thousands of citizens have moved fleeing terror and militant attacks," the diplomat said.
Among the priority needs, the Ambassador called pressure on the Security Council to comply with international humanitarian law, as well as the supply of food, water, medicines, accommodation facilities, mobile hospitals and personnel.
A Sudanese army officer inspects a weapons storage facility belonging to the Rapid Reaction Forces
"It is also extremely important to put pressure on the United Arab Emirates to stop supporting these armed groups that do not respect any international or humanitarian laws," the head of the Sudanese diplomatic mission concluded.
Khartoum had previously accused the UAE of supplying weapons and financing the rebels, but Abu Dhabi denies these accusations. Nevertheless, according to American intelligence data published in the Western press, the supply of weapons to the SBR could continue until this year.
Since 2023, clashes have continued in Sudan between the armed forces and the Security Council for control of strategic territories. The return of Khartoum to government control in March 2025 was a landmark event, but the fighting is shifting to the south (Kurdistan) and east (Darfur), causing massive displacement and destruction of infrastructure. A humanitarian crisis persists in Northern Darfur, especially in El Fasher, with shelling and blockades exacerbating shortages of food and services. The UN's attempts to achieve a humanitarian pause have not been successful. In addition, in July, the SBR declared control over the area bordering Egypt and Libya, which expanded the battlefront.
Russia expressed concern over reports of human rights violations in Al-Fasher and called on those responsible to take measures to protect civilians. "We are deeply concerned about the information received about massive human rights violations in the Sudanese city of Al-Fasher, which recently came under the control of units of the rapid reaction forces," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The impact of the loss of El Fasher on Sudan
On October 26, the SBR announced the seizure of the Sudanese army headquarters in El Fasher. It is the largest stronghold of Government forces in Northern Darfur. Two days later, the head of the Sovereign Council and army commander Abdel Fattah al-Burhan announced the withdrawal of units from the city. According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, up to 260 thousand people may remain in the city. According to UNICEF estimates, about 130,000 children suffer from hunger due to the blockade.
Camp for displaced families who fled from El Fasher to Tawila
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister of Sudan, Kamil Idris, against the background of "ethnic cleansing and genocide" in El Fasher, announced a full alert regime for all government agencies and foreign missions. The authorities claim that during the capture of the city, the SBR killed more than 2.3 thousand people. A Sudanese network of doctors has reported attacks on hospitals and killings of patients, including the tragedy at the Saudi hospital of El Fasher. There are numerous videos on social media showing SBR militants shooting and arbitrarily executing unarmed people. WHO Chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed "deep concern" at reports of hundreds of deaths.
The difficult military situation has increased the division in the country. With the capture of El Fasher, the RDB managed for the first time to assert control over the entire western part of Sudan, including strategic transnational supply routes. This brings the actual division of the country closer: the center and the east remain under the control of the official authorities, while the west is controlled by the SBR.
— The loss of control over Al-Fasher creates the risk of losing the influence of the central authorities in the western part of the country and complicates the transfer of forces and their supplies in the areas of combat contact. It also threatens to lose operational control over the entire Darfur region, which in this context could become a base for further actions by the rapid reaction forces," orientalist Leonid Tsukanov told Izvestia.
In his opinion, it is premature to talk about a full-fledged transfer of the initiative into the hands of the Security Council. Government forces maintain an advantage in other sectors of the front and outnumber the rebels in technical equipment, which limits the ability of the SBR to further expand control.
According to al-Arabi al-Jadeed, Egypt has stepped up diplomatic efforts in an attempt to prevent a further turn of power in favor of the RB. Cairo, according to the newspaper, is conducting contacts with the United States, Turkey and Iran, and is also discussing the possibility of Sudanese-American consultations with the participation of representatives of the region. At the same time, according to the newspaper, attempts to organize a meeting between al-Burhan and the commander of the Security Service of Afghanistan, Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo ("Hamidti"), failed due to the harsh position of the army leadership, which refused any direct contacts.
Regional powers, including Turkey and Iran, according to al-Arabi al-Jadeed, have increased military and technical support to the Sudanese army in an effort to prevent a final shift in the balance of power. Meanwhile, Western initiatives to end the war are stalling: the format of the "quartet" — the United States, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — has achieved only a preliminary agreement on a roadmap involving a three-month humanitarian truce. However, after the fall of El-Fasher, the conditions for negotiations became significantly tougher, and the prospects for a political settlement became more vague.
For Russia, the establishment of a logistics center for the Russian Navy in Sudan remains an important area of bilateral cooperation with the Arab Republic. Moscow emphasizes that this project will contribute to the stabilization of the region and create favorable conditions for the inflow of investments. Earlier, former Sudanese Foreign Minister Ali Yousef Sharif announced a full understanding with Russia on this issue.
— As for the Port Sudan project, its status has not changed yet, as the RB seeks not to enter into a direct conflict of interests with external players, fearing increased international pressure and problems in confirming (in case of victory in the war) its own legitimacy, — says orientalist Leonid Tsukanov.
The loss of El Fasher has exposed the vulnerabilities of the regular army of Sudan, which gives Russia more leverage to bargain for arms supplies to government forces in exchange for progress on the construction of the base. The preliminary agreement of 2020 allows the Russian Federation to deploy up to 300 military personnel, four warships (including nuclear ones) and a 25-year lease in exchange for arms supplies and military assistance.
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