Medical group accuses RSF of holding 20 doctors in Sudan's El Fasher

A Sudanese medical group has accused the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of detaining 20 doctors, including four women, in El Fasher, warning that the conflict in North Darfur has taken a devastating toll on healthcare workers.

A recent report from the Sudan Doctors Network revealed that 25 medical personnel were killed in North Darfur between the outbreak of war in April 2023, and the RSF's takeover of El Fasher in October 2025. The medical group also stated that the detained doctors have been unaccounted for since the city came under RSF control.

The group said the deaths and disappearances have dealt a severe blow to an already strained health system, where doctors and other medical staff have continued providing care despite bombardments, armed clashes, sieges, and critical shortages of medical supplies.

Since fighting erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF, over 235 medical personnel in Sudan have been killed or reported missing.

The Sudan Doctors Network has called for the protection of healthcare workers, emphasizing that their safety is crucial for maintaining lifesaving medical services in conflict-affected communities. They have urged the Rapid Support Forces to reveal the whereabouts of the missing doctors in El Fasher and to allow healthcare personnel to conduct their humanitarian work without intimidation or attacks.