The city of el-Fasher in Sudan’s Darfur region has become the epicenter of a brutal conflict as the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) tighten their grip on the area. For 17 months, the RSF has besieged the city, which lies in their ethnic heartland, and recent weeks have seen significant advances toward key military sites. The conflict, which erupted in 2023 following a power struggle between the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), has left tens of thousands of civilians trapped in a living nightmare.