PORT SUDAN: The army-aligned governor of Sudan’s Darfur region called for the protection of civilians in the stricken city of El-Fasher on Monday, after paramilitaries claimed to have seized it following a brutal 18-month siege. Pro-democracy activists reported fighting “in the vicinity of El-Fasher airport and several areas west of the city.” The group, known as a local resistance committee, said in a statement there was a “complete absence of air support” to protect residents.

Despite this apparent victory for the paramilitary group, the besieged city of el-Fasher's status has not changed.

The fall of el-Fasher would cement the RSF's control of the west and reinforces a de facto split in the nation.