In excess of 60,000 Flee Sudan's City In the wake of Seizure by Rapid Support Forces Paramilitary Group, United Nations Says
According to the UNHCR, in excess of 60,000 civilians have fled the Sudanese city of el-Fasher, which was seized by the militia RSF over the weekend.
There have been multiple executions and human rights violations as militia members stormed the city following an year-and-a-half blockade featuring famine and sustained attacks.
The flow of those fleeing the conflict towards the town of Tawila, about 80km (50 miles) west of el-Fasher, had accelerated in the past few days, per UNHCR spokesperson.
Refugees were narrating shocking accounts of atrocities, such as rape, and the agency was having trouble to find adequate shelter and food for them.
Every child was affected by malnutrition, she commented.
It is estimated that over 150,000 residents are still trapped in el-Fasher, which had been the army's final fortress in the western part of Darfur.
The RSF has disputed widespread allegations that the killings in el-Fasher are driven by ethnicity and mirror a pattern of the Arab militia groups attacking ethnic minorities.
Yet the RSF has custodied one of its militiamen, Abu Lulu, who has been accused of on-the-spot executions.
The force shared video showing the member's detention subsequent to verification that he was behind the death of several non-combatants close to el-Fasher.
Video sharing service has confirmed that it has removed the channel associated with Lulu. It is not clear whether he had controlled the profile in his identity.
Sudan was entered a civil war in April 2023 after a brutal power struggle erupted between its army and the Rapid Support Forces.
The conflict has resulted in a starvation emergency and accusations of mass killing in the western Darfur region.
More than 150,000 people have died in the conflict across the country, and roughly 12 million have abandoned their homes in what the United Nations has termed the most extensive humanitarian crisis.
The capture of el-Fasher strengthens the territorial division in the country, with the RSF now in dominance of Sudan's west and a large portion of bordering Kordofan to the southern area, and the army holding the main city, Khartoum, the center and east along the coastal region.
The two warring rivals had been partners - coming to power together in a seizure of power in 2021 - but split over an globally supported proposal to advance to democratic governance.