Over 60,000 Escape Sudanese City In the wake of Capture by Rapid Support Forces Militia, UN Reports
Per the UN refugee agency, in excess of 60,000 civilians have fled the Sudanese city of el-Fasher, which was taken over by the paramilitary RSF over the weekend.
Reports indicate summary killings and human rights violations as paramilitary forces entered the city following an extended blockade marked by food shortages and intense shelling.
The movement of those escaping the violence towards the town of Tawila, about 80km (50 miles) west of el-Fasher, had grown in the last several days, per United Nations refugee agency representative.
They were telling horrendous accounts of abuses, including sexual violence, and the agency was having trouble to find enough accommodation and food for them.
Each child was suffering from nutritional deficiencies, she added.
It is estimated that over 150,000 people are still trapped in el-Fasher, which had been the army's last bastion in the western part of Darfur.
The RSF has denied widespread allegations that the executions in el-Fasher are based on ethnic factors and follow a practice of the Arab paramilitaries attacking ethnic minorities.
Nevertheless the paramilitary group has custodied one of its militiamen, Abu Lulu, who has been charged with summary executions.
The organization distributed recordings revealing the fighter's apprehension following identification that he was responsible for the death of several non-combatants in the vicinity of el-Fasher.
Social media platform has verified that it has banned the profile linked to Lulu. The status remains unclear whether he had managed the account in his identity.
Sudan was entered a domestic fighting in April 2023 when a brutal contest for control broke out between its military and the Rapid Support Forces.
This has resulted in a starvation emergency and accusations of genocide in the Darfur area.
Over 150,000 persons have died in the conflict around the country, and approximately 12 million have left their homes in what the UN has described as the biggest global humanitarian disaster.
The seizure of el-Fasher solidifies the regional separation in the country, with the RSF now in dominance of western Sudan and a large portion of neighbouring Kordofan to the southern area, and the army controlling the capital, Khartoum, central and eastern areas along the coastal region.
The two warring rivals had been partners - gaining control together in a seizure of power in 2021 - but fell out over an foreign-endorsed plan to transition to democratic governance.