Over 60,000 Escape Sudanese City Following Capture by RSF Militia, United Nations Says
According to the UNHCR, more than 60,000 civilians have escaped the Sudanese city of el-Fasher, which was captured by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces during the weekend.
Reports indicate summary killings and human rights violations as militia members entered the city following an extended siege characterized by food shortages and sustained attacks.
The movement of those escaping the conflict towards the community of Tawila, approximately 80km (50 miles) to the west of el-Fasher, had grown in the last several days, as stated by United Nations refugee agency representative.
Survivors were telling terrible stories of atrocities, including sexual violence, and the agency was finding it difficult to secure adequate accommodation and food for them.
Every child was suffering from nutritional deficiencies, she added.
Estimates suggest that in excess of 150,000 people are still stranded in el-Fasher, which had been the military's remaining stronghold in the western part of Darfur.
The RSF has rejected extensive claims that the killings in el-Fasher are based on ethnic factors and mirror a practice of the Arab fighters focusing on non-Arab populations.
Yet the RSF has custodied one of its members, Abu Lulu, who has been charged with on-the-spot executions.
The group released video revealing the fighter's arrest following confirmation that he was involved in the killing of multiple unarmed men close to el-Fasher.
Social media platform has verified that it has removed the account linked to Lulu. It is not clear whether he had operated the profile in his name.
Sudan was thrown into a civil war in April 2023 when a brutal contest for control erupted between its military and the RSF.
This has led to a starvation emergency and claims of ethnic cleansing in the western Darfur region.
More than 150,000 individuals have been killed in the war across the country, and roughly 12 million have fled their dwellings in what the United Nations has called the biggest global humanitarian crisis.
The capture of el-Fasher strengthens the geographic split in the country, with the RSF now in dominance of Sudan's west and a large portion of neighbouring Kordofan to the southern area, and the military occupying the main city, Khartoum, central and eastern areas along the coastal region.
The competing factions had been partners - gaining control together in a coup in 2021 - but disagreed over an internationally backed plan to move towards democratic governance.
