Over 60,000 Run from Sudanese City Following Capture by Rapid Support Forces Militia, UN States
As stated by the United Nations refugee organization, more than 60,000 civilians have fled the Sudanese city of el-Fasher, which was seized by the militia Rapid Support Forces over the weekend.
Reports indicate mass executions and human rights violations as militia members entered the city after an year-and-a-half encirclement marked by starvation and heavy bombardment.
The movement of those escaping the violence towards the town of Tawila, roughly 80km (50 miles) to the west of el-Fasher, had increased in the past few days, according to UNHCR representative.
Refugees were narrating shocking tales of atrocities, including sexual violence, and the organization was finding it difficult to find adequate accommodation and supplies for them.
Every child was affected by malnutrition, she added.
It is estimated that in excess of 150,000 people are currently stranded in el-Fasher, which had been the military's last fortress in the western part of Darfur.
The RSF has disputed widespread claims that the killings in el-Fasher are ethnically motivated and mirror a trend of the Arab fighters attacking non-Arab communities.
Yet the paramilitary group has detained one of its members, Abu Lulu, who has been charged with on-the-spot executions.
The group shared recordings depicting the fighter's detention after confirmation that he was involved in the execution of multiple non-combatants close to el-Fasher.
Digital platform has verified that it has banned the profile linked to Lulu. The status remains unclear whether he had operated the account in his name.
Sudan was plunged into a internal conflict in April 2023 when a intense power struggle began between its army and the RSF.
The conflict has caused a starvation emergency and allegations of genocide in the Darfur area.
In excess of 150,000 persons have been killed in the war across the country, and approximately 12 million have fled their residences in what the UN has termed the world's largest humanitarian disaster.
The seizure of el-Fasher strengthens the geographic split in the country, with the Rapid Support Forces now in command of western Sudan and a large portion of bordering Kordofan to the south, and the military controlling the capital, Khartoum, central and eastern regions along the coastal region.
The two warring rivals had been allies - gaining control together in a takeover in 2021 - but split over an globally supported initiative to transition to democratic governance.