Over 60,000 Flee Sudan's City Following Capture by Rapid Support Forces Militia, UN States
As stated by the United Nations refugee organization, more than 60,000 people have fled the Sudanese city of el-Fasher, which was taken over by the militia Rapid Support Forces over the weekend.
Reports indicate summary killings and atrocities as paramilitary forces entered the city following an extended blockade characterized by starvation and sustained attacks.
The movement of those fleeing the violence towards the community of Tawila, approximately 80km (50 miles) to the west of el-Fasher, had increased in the recent days, as stated by UNHCR spokesperson.
Refugees were narrating terrible accounts of atrocities, including sexual violence, and the humanitarian group was having trouble to locate enough housing and food for them.
Each child was suffering from malnutrition, she commented.
Estimates suggest that more than 150,000 residents are presently stranded in el-Fasher, which had been the military's last fortress in the western region of Darfur.
The Rapid Support Forces has disputed extensive claims that the deaths in el-Fasher are based on ethnic factors and resemble a pattern of the Arab paramilitaries targeting ethnic minorities.
However the paramilitary group has arrested one of its fighters, Abu Lulu, who has been charged with summary executions.
The force shared recordings showing the militiaman's apprehension subsequent to identification that he was involved in the killing of multiple civilians close to el-Fasher.
Video sharing service has acknowledged that it has removed the profile associated with Lulu. It is not clear whether he had operated the profile in his name.
Sudan was thrown into a civil war in April 2023 after a vicious contest for control erupted between its military and the RSF.
It has led to a famine and allegations of ethnic cleansing in the Darfur area.
More than 150,000 individuals have died in the fighting throughout the country, and approximately 12 million have left their residences in what the UN has termed the most extensive humanitarian emergency.
The takeover of el-Fasher reinforces the territorial division in the country, with the RSF now in command of Sudan's west and a large portion of bordering Kordofan to the south, and the army occupying the capital, Khartoum, the center and east along the coastal region.
The two warring rivals had been partners - taking over together in a coup in 2021 - but fell out over an internationally backed initiative to transition to civilian leadership.
