Ongoing Construction of a Barrier Surrounds El-Fasher Amid escalating Sudan Conflict

Sat Sep 13 2025 11:23:21 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Satellite imagery reveals extensive earthen walls being built around the Sudanese city of El-Fasher, intensifying the humanitarian crisis as civilians are trapped inside amidst ongoing violence.

Recent satellite images show that a significant earthen barrier is under construction around El-Fasher, a city in Sudan besieged for over a year. The wall, identified by Yale University's Humanitarian Research Lab, stretches over 31 kilometers and aims to encircle the city, heightening the threats to the already vulnerable civilian population. As attacks on populated areas increase, the RSF's aggressive tactics draw international concern, with calls for humanitarian intervention growing as the situation deteriorates.

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 (HRL) has identified more than 31km (19 miles) of berms - or raised banks - 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 Sudan's army, which has been battling the RSF since April 2023.

The Sudan Doctors Network has told the BBC that the RSF was 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 deliberate and heinous, he said.

BBC Verify states that both sides in the conflict have been using berms as a defensive tool. However, the analysis by Yale suggests that the RSF is creating a literal kill box around el-Fasher.

The HRL traced the construction of the earthen walls onto a map of el-Fasher, detailing the progress with colored lines and dates.

The region's humanitarian situation is critical. Civilians report food scarcity and challenges in accessing medical care as humanitarian agencies face obstacles in reaching el-Fasher. The RSF's ongoing military strategies raise alarms about the potential for further violence and instability in Sudan.

Adeeb Abdel Rahman Youssef, a former governor of central Darfur State, has appealed to the UN Security Council to protect civilians in el-Fasher, stressing that there is no one to safeguard them against the ongoing violence.