In excess of 60,000 Flee Sudan's City After Seizure by Rapid Support Forces Paramilitary Group, UN Reports

Refugees escaping conflict in Sudan
Numerous are trying to reach the town of Tawila but face harassment, extortion and abuse from armed men along the way

Per the UN refugee agency, more than 60,000 civilians have left the Sudanese city of el-Fasher, which was captured by the militia Rapid Support Forces during the weekend.

Reports indicate mass executions and atrocities as RSF fighters entered the city following an 18-month siege featuring famine and sustained attacks.

The flow of those escaping the conflict towards the community of Tawila, about 80km (50 miles) west of el-Fasher, had accelerated in the recent days, as stated by United Nations refugee agency spokesperson.

They were telling horrendous tales of violence, such as rape, and the humanitarian group was finding it difficult to secure adequate accommodation and supplies for them.

Each child was suffering from malnutrition, she noted.

Calculations indicate that more than 150,000 people are currently unable to leave in el-Fasher, which had been the military's last stronghold in the western region of Darfur.

The Rapid Support Forces has rejected extensive accusations that the deaths in el-Fasher are ethnically motivated and resemble a pattern of the Arab paramilitaries focusing on non-Arab communities.

Nevertheless the RSF has detained one of its militiamen, Abu Lulu, who has been charged with on-the-spot executions.

The group released video depicting the militiaman's detention after confirmation that he was behind the death of numerous unarmed men near el-Fasher.

Digital platform has acknowledged that it has suspended the profile linked to Lulu. It is not clear whether he had managed the profile in his identity.

Sudan was plunged into a civil war in April 2023 following a brutal power struggle erupted between its army and the Rapid Support Forces.

It has caused a starvation emergency and accusations of mass killing in the western Sudan.

Over 150,000 individuals have died in the conflict around the country, and roughly 12 million have left their dwellings in what the UN has termed the biggest global humanitarian emergency.

The capture of el-Fasher strengthens the regional separation in the country, with the RSF now in command of the western region and a large portion of adjacent Kordofan to the south, and the military occupying the capital, Khartoum, the center and east along the Red Sea.

The two warring rivals had been allies - gaining control together in a coup in 2021 - but split over an foreign-endorsed plan to advance to civilian leadership.

Olivia Welch
Olivia Welch

A seasoned gaming analyst with over a decade of experience in casino industry trends and slot machine mechanics.