In excess of 60,000 Run from Sudan's City In the wake of Takeover by Rapid Support Forces Militia, UN Says

Refugees fleeing violence in Sudan
Numerous are attempting to reach the settlement of Tawila but experience intimidation, demands for money and abuse from fighters along the way

As stated by the UN refugee agency, more than 60,000 individuals have left the Sudanese city of el-Fasher, which was captured by the militia Rapid Support Forces recently.

Accounts suggest mass executions and human rights violations as militia members stormed the city following an 18-month siege marked by starvation and heavy bombardment.

The flow of those running from the conflict towards the town of Tawila, approximately 80km (50 miles) west of el-Fasher, had grown in the recent days, according to United Nations refugee agency spokesperson.

They were describing horrendous accounts of abuses, including sexual violence, and the humanitarian group was struggling to find adequate shelter and nourishment for them.

Every child was experiencing undernourishment, she added.

Calculations indicate that over 150,000 residents are presently trapped in el-Fasher, which had been the military's last fortress in the western part of Darfur.

The Rapid Support Forces has rejected widespread allegations that the killings in el-Fasher are ethnically motivated and resemble a pattern of the Arab paramilitaries targeting non-Arab communities.

Nevertheless the paramilitary group has custodied one of its members, Abu Lulu, who has been implicated in on-the-spot executions.

The force released footage depicting the fighter's arrest after identification that he was responsible for the killing of multiple civilians in the vicinity of el-Fasher.

Digital platform has acknowledged that it has suspended the profile linked to Lulu. The status remains unclear whether he had operated the profile in his identity.

Sudan was plunged into a internal conflict in April 2023 after a intense power struggle broke out between its army and the RSF.

The conflict has caused a food crisis and accusations of mass killing in the western Sudan.

Over 150,000 persons have died in the war across the country, and about 12 million have left their dwellings in what the United Nations has termed the most extensive humanitarian crisis.

The capture of el-Fasher reinforces the regional separation in the country, with the RSF now in dominance of western Sudan and much of bordering Kordofan to the south, and the army controlling the capital, Khartoum, the center and east along the coastal region.

The competing factions had been partners - taking over together in a seizure of power in 2021 - but disagreed over an foreign-endorsed initiative to transition to civilian leadership.

Timothy Alexander
Timothy Alexander

A passionate gamer and tech enthusiast with over a decade of experience in game journalism and community building.