In excess of 60,000 Escape Sudanese City Following Capture by Rapid Support Forces Militia, United Nations Says

Displaced people fleeing conflict in Sudan
Numerous are trying to reach the town of Tawila but experience harassment, demands for money and mistreatment from militiamen during their journey

According to the UNHCR, more than 60,000 individuals have escaped the city in Sudan of el-Fasher, which was captured by the militia RSF recently.

Reports indicate multiple executions and atrocities as RSF fighters stormed the city following an 18-month blockade featuring starvation and intense shelling.

The flow of those escaping the fighting towards the town of Tawila, roughly 80km (50 miles) to the west of el-Fasher, had increased in the recent days, as stated by UNHCR spokesperson.

Survivors were telling terrible accounts of violence, including sexual violence, and the agency was struggling to find sufficient accommodation and food for them.

Every child was experiencing nutritional deficiencies, she noted.

It is estimated that in excess of 150,000 residents are currently trapped in el-Fasher, which had been the army's last bastion in the western region of Darfur.

The RSF has rejected widespread accusations that the executions in el-Fasher are based on ethnic factors and follow a practice of the Arab paramilitaries attacking non-Arab communities.

However the paramilitary group has custodied one of its militiamen, Abu Lulu, who has been charged with summary executions.

The organization distributed footage depicting the militiaman's detention after identification that he was responsible for the death of multiple unarmed men in the vicinity of el-Fasher.

Video sharing service has acknowledged that it has suspended the account connected to Lulu. It is not clear whether he had controlled the profile in his identity.

Sudan was entered a civil war in April 2023 following a intense contest for control began between its army and the Rapid Support Forces.

It has caused a famine and accusations of ethnic cleansing in the Darfur area.

In excess of 150,000 persons have been killed in the war around the country, and approximately 12 million have left their homes in what the UN has called the most extensive humanitarian emergency.

The takeover of el-Fasher solidifies the territorial division in the country, with the Rapid Support Forces now in command of western Sudan and a large portion of neighbouring 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 collaborators - gaining control together in a seizure of power in 2021 - but fell out over an globally supported plan to advance to democratic governance.

Alyssa Hall
Alyssa Hall

A tech journalist and digital strategist with over a decade of experience covering emerging technologies and their impact on society.