More than 60,000 Run from Sudanese City After Seizure by RSF Militia, UN Says
According to the UNHCR, more than 60,000 civilians have fled the city in Sudan of el-Fasher, which was taken over by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces recently.
Reports indicate mass executions and atrocities as paramilitary forces stormed the city after an 18-month encirclement featuring famine and intense shelling.
The exodus of those running from the conflict towards the community of Tawila, roughly 80km (50 miles) west of el-Fasher, had accelerated in the last several days, as stated by United Nations refugee agency spokesperson.
Refugees were describing horrendous accounts of abuses, such as rape, and the organization was having trouble to secure adequate accommodation and nourishment for them.
All children was affected by malnutrition, she noted.
It is estimated that in excess of 150,000 individuals are currently stranded in el-Fasher, which had been the army's remaining fortress in the western part of Darfur.
The Rapid Support Forces has disputed extensive claims that the killings in el-Fasher are ethnically motivated and resemble a practice of the Arab fighters targeting non-Arab communities.
However the paramilitary group has custodied one of its members, Abu Lulu, who has been accused of on-the-spot executions.
The force shared video revealing the militiaman's apprehension subsequent to confirmation that he was responsible for the killing of several civilians in the vicinity of el-Fasher.
Social media platform has verified that it has suspended the profile linked to Lulu. The status remains unclear whether he had operated the account in his name.
Sudan was entered a civil war in April 2023 following a intense power struggle erupted between its military and the RSF.
The conflict has led to a food crisis and claims of ethnic cleansing in the Darfur area.
Over 150,000 people have lost their lives in the war around the country, and about 12 million have abandoned their homes in what the United Nations has described as the biggest global humanitarian disaster.
The seizure of el-Fasher reinforces the geographic split in the country, with the RSF now in command of western Sudan and significant areas of bordering Kordofan to the south, and the army holding the capital, Khartoum, central and eastern areas along the coastal region.
The two warring rivals had been partners - gaining control together in a seizure of power in 2021 - but disagreed over an foreign-endorsed initiative to transition to democratic governance.