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

Displaced people escaping violence in the region
Many are attempting to reach the settlement of Tawila but experience harassment, demands for money and mistreatment from fighters along the way

According to the UN refugee agency, in excess of 60,000 people have escaped the Sudanese city of el-Fasher, which was seized by the militia Rapid Support Forces over the weekend.

There have been summary killings and atrocities as RSF fighters entered the city following an year-and-a-half siege marked by starvation and sustained attacks.

The flow of those escaping the conflict towards the community of Tawila, roughly 80km (50 miles) west of el-Fasher, had increased in the last several days, according to UNHCR spokesperson.

Refugees were describing terrible stories of violence, including rape, and the humanitarian group was struggling to secure sufficient accommodation and supplies for them.

All children was experiencing undernourishment, she added.

Estimates suggest that in excess of 150,000 individuals are still trapped in el-Fasher, which had been the military's final fortress in the western part of Darfur.

The Rapid Support Forces has denied extensive claims that the deaths in el-Fasher are ethnically motivated and resemble a trend of the Arab paramilitaries targeting non-Arab communities.

Nevertheless the RSF has arrested one of its militiamen, Abu Lulu, who has been charged with summary executions.

The group shared footage depicting the militiaman's detention subsequent to confirmation that he was responsible for the killing of multiple unarmed men in the vicinity of el-Fasher.

Social media platform has acknowledged that it has suspended the channel linked to Lulu. The status remains unclear whether he had managed the profile in his name.

Sudan was thrown into a domestic fighting in April 2023 after a brutal struggle for power erupted between its army and the RSF.

The conflict has led to a food crisis and accusations of genocide in the western Darfur region.

Over 150,000 people have died in the war around the country, and approximately 12 million have abandoned their residences in what the UN has called the most extensive humanitarian crisis.

The capture of el-Fasher solidifies the regional separation in the country, with the RSF now in command of the western region and much of bordering Kordofan to the southern area, and the military holding the capital, Khartoum, central and eastern areas along the coastal region.

The opposing sides had been partners - gaining control together in a takeover in 2021 - but fell out over an globally supported proposal to transition to civilian leadership.

Kristin Flores
Kristin Flores

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