In excess of 60,000 Escape Sudanese City In the wake of Seizure by RSF Paramilitary Group, UN Says
According to the UN refugee agency, in excess of 60,000 individuals have escaped the Sudanese city of el-Fasher, which was captured by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces recently.
Reports indicate summary killings and crimes against humanity as militia members entered the city after an year-and-a-half siege characterized by starvation and intense shelling.
The movement of those running from the fighting towards the town of Tawila, approximately 80km (50 miles) to the west of el-Fasher, had increased in the recent days, as stated by UNHCR spokesperson.
Refugees were describing shocking accounts of atrocities, featuring sexual violence, and the humanitarian group was struggling to secure sufficient housing and food for them.
Each child was affected by nutritional deficiencies, she noted.
Calculations indicate that more than 150,000 people are currently stranded in el-Fasher, which had been the military's final fortress in the western region of Darfur.
The Rapid Support Forces has denied widespread allegations that the killings in el-Fasher are driven by ethnicity and resemble a pattern of the Arab fighters targeting non-Arab populations.
Nevertheless the RSF has arrested one of its militiamen, Abu Lulu, who has been implicated in summary executions.
The force shared video revealing the member's apprehension after confirmation that he was responsible for the killing of numerous non-combatants in the vicinity of el-Fasher.
Digital platform has confirmed that it has banned the channel linked to Lulu. It is not clear whether he had operated the account in his name.
Sudan was thrown into a domestic fighting in April 2023 when a brutal contest for control erupted between its army and the Rapid Support Forces.
The conflict has led to a starvation emergency and allegations of mass killing in the western Darfur region.
Over 150,000 individuals have been killed in the conflict across the country, and approximately 12 million have fled their residences in what the United Nations has described as the world's largest humanitarian crisis.
The capture of el-Fasher reinforces the geographic split in the country, with the RSF now in dominance of Sudan's west and significant areas of neighbouring Kordofan to the south, and the military holding the main city, Khartoum, the center and east along the coastal region.
The opposing sides had been partners - coming to power together in a coup in 2021 - but disagreed over an globally supported proposal to advance to civilian leadership.
