In excess of 60,000 Flee Sudan's City In the wake of Seizure by RSF Paramilitary Group, United Nations Says
Per the UN refugee agency, in excess of 60,000 people have left the Sudanese city of el-Fasher, which was seized by the militia Rapid Support Forces over the weekend.
Accounts suggest summary killings and crimes against humanity as RSF fighters stormed the city after an extended encirclement featuring famine and sustained attacks.
The flow of those escaping the conflict towards the community of Tawila, about 80km (50 miles) to the west of el-Fasher, had grown in the recent days, according to UNHCR representative.
Survivors were telling shocking accounts of violence, including sexual violence, and the organization was struggling to find adequate accommodation and nourishment for them.
All children was experiencing undernourishment, she commented.
It is estimated that over 150,000 individuals are presently stranded in el-Fasher, which had been the military's last bastion in the western part of Darfur.
The Rapid Support Forces has disputed extensive claims that the executions in el-Fasher are driven by ethnicity and resemble a trend of the Arab militia groups targeting non-Arab communities.
Yet the paramilitary group has arrested one of its fighters, Abu Lulu, who has been accused of extrajudicial killings.
The force released footage revealing the fighter's arrest subsequent to verification that he was involved in the death of several non-combatants close to el-Fasher.
Digital platform has acknowledged that it has suspended the channel associated with Lulu. The status remains unclear whether he had controlled the account in his identity.
Sudan was thrown into a internal conflict in April 2023 when a brutal power struggle broke out between its army and the RSF.
The conflict has resulted in a starvation emergency and allegations of ethnic cleansing in the western Darfur region.
More than 150,000 persons have lost their lives in the fighting across the country, and approximately 12 million have abandoned their dwellings in what the United Nations has described as the biggest global humanitarian emergency.
The capture of el-Fasher solidifies the regional separation in the country, with the RSF now in control of Sudan's west and a large portion of neighbouring Kordofan to the southern area, and the army controlling the main city, Khartoum, the center and east along the coastal region.
The competing factions had been allies - coming to power together in a seizure of power in 2021 - but disagreed over an foreign-endorsed plan to move towards civilian leadership.