More than 60,000 Escape Sudan's City In the wake of Seizure by Rapid Support Forces Militia, UN Reports
Per the UN refugee agency, more than 60,000 individuals have fled the city in Sudan of el-Fasher, which was taken over by the militia Rapid Support Forces over the weekend.
Accounts suggest summary killings and crimes against humanity as paramilitary forces stormed the city after an year-and-a-half blockade characterized by starvation and heavy bombardment.
The flow of those fleeing the fighting towards the town of Tawila, approximately 80km (50 miles) to the west of el-Fasher, had increased in the recent days, according to United Nations refugee agency representative.
They were narrating shocking stories of violence, such as rape, and the agency was finding it difficult to find enough accommodation and supplies for them.
Every child was affected by nutritional deficiencies, she commented.
Estimates suggest that in excess of 150,000 people are still stranded in el-Fasher, which had been the army's final stronghold in the western part of Darfur.
The Rapid Support Forces has rejected widespread accusations that the executions in el-Fasher are based on ethnic factors and mirror a pattern of the Arab fighters focusing on non-Arab populations.
Nevertheless the RSF has custodied one of its militiamen, Abu Lulu, who has been charged with extrajudicial killings.
The group released footage depicting the militiaman's arrest after verification that he was behind the death of numerous civilians in the vicinity of el-Fasher.
Social media platform has confirmed that it has removed the profile connected to Lulu. The status remains unclear whether he had managed the account in his name.
Sudan was thrown into a civil war in April 2023 when a brutal power struggle broke out between its military and the RSF.
This has led to a famine and claims of genocide in the western Darfur region.
Over 150,000 people have died in the war across the country, and about 12 million have fled their homes in what the United Nations has described as the biggest global humanitarian crisis.
The seizure of el-Fasher reinforces the regional separation in the country, with the RSF now in control of western Sudan and a large portion of neighbouring Kordofan to the southern area, and the military holding the capital, Khartoum, central and eastern regions along the Red Sea.
The two warring rivals had been partners - coming to power together in a takeover in 2021 - but split over an internationally backed proposal to move towards democratic governance.