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

Refugees fleeing violence in Sudan
Many seek to reach the settlement of Tawila but experience harassment, extortion and abuse from armed men along the way

Per the UNHCR, more than 60,000 individuals have fled the Sudanese city of el-Fasher, which was captured by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces over the weekend.

Accounts suggest summary killings and atrocities as paramilitary forces entered the city following an year-and-a-half siege characterized by famine and sustained attacks.

The flow of those fleeing the fighting towards the community of Tawila, about 80km (50 miles) west of el-Fasher, had increased in the recent days, according to United Nations refugee agency spokesperson.

Refugees were narrating shocking accounts of violence, featuring sexual violence, and the agency was struggling to secure adequate housing and nourishment for them.

Each child was experiencing nutritional deficiencies, she added.

Estimates suggest that more than 150,000 residents are still stranded in el-Fasher, which had been the military's final stronghold in the western region of Darfur.

The RSF has denied extensive claims that the executions in el-Fasher are driven by ethnicity and follow a pattern of the Arab fighters focusing on non-Arab communities.

However the paramilitary group has detained one of its fighters, Abu Lulu, who has been charged with on-the-spot executions.

The organization released video revealing the fighter's arrest following identification that he was involved in the death of numerous civilians in the vicinity of el-Fasher.

Video sharing service has verified that it has suspended the account connected to Lulu. It is not clear whether he had operated the account in his name.

Sudan was plunged into a internal conflict in April 2023 after a brutal contest for control erupted between its army and the RSF.

The conflict has resulted in a famine and claims of ethnic cleansing in the western Darfur region.

In excess of 150,000 people have lost their lives in the war across the country, and roughly 12 million have fled their residences in what the United Nations has termed the biggest global humanitarian emergency.

The capture of el-Fasher strengthens the regional separation in the country, with the Rapid Support Forces now in dominance of the western region and a large portion of neighbouring Kordofan to the south, and the army controlling the main city, Khartoum, central and eastern areas along the coastal region.

The opposing sides had been partners - gaining control together in a coup in 2021 - but split over an globally supported plan to advance to democratic governance.

Michelle Holland
Michelle Holland

A seasoned data analyst specializing in probability studies and gambling trends, with over a decade of experience in statistical modeling.