More than 60,000 Escape Sudan's City In the wake of Seizure by Rapid Support Forces Paramilitary Group, United Nations Says
According to the UN refugee agency, in excess of 60,000 individuals have left the Sudanese city of el-Fasher, which was seized by the militia Rapid Support Forces during the weekend.
There have been multiple executions and human rights violations as RSF fighters stormed the city after an 18-month siege marked by food shortages and intense shelling.
The movement of those fleeing the violence towards the community of Tawila, about 80km (50 miles) west of el-Fasher, had accelerated in the recent days, as stated by United Nations refugee agency representative.
Refugees were describing terrible accounts of abuses, such as sexual violence, and the agency was struggling to secure enough accommodation and nourishment for them.
Every child was suffering from undernourishment, she commented.
Estimates suggest that over 150,000 individuals are currently trapped in el-Fasher, which had been the military's last fortress in the western region of Darfur.
The RSF has denied widespread accusations that the killings in el-Fasher are based on ethnic factors and follow a practice of the Arab paramilitaries attacking ethnic minorities.
Yet the paramilitary group has detained one of its members, Abu Lulu, who has been implicated in extrajudicial killings.
The force distributed recordings revealing the member's apprehension following confirmation that he was responsible for the death of numerous non-combatants close to el-Fasher.
Video sharing service has confirmed that it has banned the account linked to Lulu. The status remains unclear whether he had operated the profile in his identity.
Sudan was thrown into a internal conflict in April 2023 when a intense contest for control erupted between its military and the Rapid Support Forces.
The conflict has led to a food crisis and claims of ethnic cleansing in the western Sudan.
Over 150,000 persons have died in the fighting throughout the country, and about 12 million have left their residences in what the United Nations has termed the biggest global humanitarian disaster.
The seizure of el-Fasher reinforces the geographic split in the country, with the Rapid Support Forces now in dominance of Sudan's west and much of neighbouring Kordofan to the southern area, and the army occupying the main city, Khartoum, the center and east along the coastal region.
The opposing sides had been allies - taking over together in a coup in 2021 - but disagreed over an internationally backed initiative to transition to civilian rule.
