Over 60,000 Escape Sudanese City After Seizure by RSF Militia, UN Says

Displaced people escaping conflict in the region
Many are trying to reach the town of Tawila but face harassment, extortion and mistreatment from armed men during their journey

As stated by the UNHCR, over 60,000 people have escaped the city in Sudan of el-Fasher, which was taken over by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces over the weekend.

Accounts suggest summary killings and atrocities as RSF fighters took control of the city following an 18-month blockade marked by famine and heavy bombardment.

The exodus of those fleeing the fighting towards the town of Tawila, approximately 80km (50 miles) west of el-Fasher, had accelerated in the recent days, as stated by UNHCR spokesperson.

They were narrating shocking accounts of violence, including sexual violence, and the humanitarian group was struggling to find enough housing and supplies for them.

All children was suffering from malnutrition, she added.

Calculations indicate that over 150,000 residents are still stranded in el-Fasher, which had been the army's final fortress in the western region of Darfur.

The Rapid Support Forces has denied widespread claims that the executions in el-Fasher are based on ethnic factors and mirror a trend of the Arab fighters focusing on non-Arab communities.

Yet the RSF has detained one of its militiamen, Abu Lulu, who has been implicated in extrajudicial killings.

The group distributed footage revealing the militiaman's apprehension following confirmation that he was responsible for the execution of numerous civilians close to el-Fasher.

Social media platform has verified that it has banned the channel linked to Lulu. It is not clear whether he had managed the account in his name.

Sudan was plunged into a internal conflict in April 2023 after a brutal struggle for power began between its army and the Rapid Support Forces.

The conflict has led to a starvation emergency and accusations of genocide in the Darfur area.

More than 150,000 people have died in the war around the country, and roughly 12 million have fled their dwellings in what the United Nations has described as the biggest global humanitarian emergency.

The seizure of el-Fasher reinforces the geographic split in the country, with the RSF now in command of Sudan's west and a large portion of bordering Kordofan to the south, and the army holding the main city, Khartoum, the center and east along the coastal region.

The two warring rivals had been collaborators - coming to power together in a coup in 2021 - but fell out over an internationally backed proposal to transition to democratic governance.

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