Over 60,000 Escape Sudanese City After Takeover by Rapid Support Forces Paramilitary Group, United Nations States
As stated by the UN refugee agency, in excess of 60,000 people have fled the city in Sudan of el-Fasher, which was taken over by the paramilitary RSF during the weekend.
Reports indicate mass executions and atrocities as militia members entered the city after an 18-month blockade characterized by starvation and sustained attacks.
The exodus of those fleeing the violence towards the community of Tawila, approximately 80km (50 miles) west of el-Fasher, had accelerated in the past few days, per UNHCR spokesperson.
They were telling horrendous accounts of violence, such as rape, and the organization was finding it difficult to find sufficient shelter and supplies for them.
Every child was experiencing nutritional deficiencies, she added.
It is estimated that more than 150,000 residents are still unable to leave in el-Fasher, which had been the military's remaining bastion in the western region of Darfur.
The RSF has denied widespread claims that the deaths in el-Fasher are driven by ethnicity and follow a pattern of the Arab militia groups attacking non-Arab populations.
Yet the paramilitary group has custodied one of its fighters, Abu Lulu, who has been implicated in on-the-spot executions.
The organization distributed recordings revealing the member's arrest after identification that he was involved in the killing of several non-combatants close to el-Fasher.
Social media platform has verified that it has removed the channel connected to Lulu. It is not clear whether he had managed the account in his identity.
Sudan was entered a internal conflict in April 2023 after a intense power struggle erupted between its military and the Rapid Support Forces.
This has resulted in a food crisis and allegations of mass killing in the western Darfur region.
In excess of 150,000 individuals have been killed in the fighting throughout the country, and approximately 12 million have left their residences in what the United Nations has called the biggest global humanitarian crisis.
The seizure of el-Fasher reinforces the territorial division in the country, with the RSF now in dominance of Sudan's west and much of bordering Kordofan to the south, and the army controlling the main city, Khartoum, the center and east along the Red Sea.
The opposing sides had been allies - taking over together in a seizure of power in 2021 - but disagreed over an globally supported initiative to advance to civilian leadership.