More than 60,000 Escape Sudan's City In the wake of Capture by Rapid Support Forces Militia, UN Reports
According to the UN refugee agency, over 60,000 people have left the Sudanese city of el-Fasher, which was captured by the militia RSF during the weekend.
Accounts suggest mass executions and atrocities as militia members entered the city following an 18-month blockade marked by food shortages and sustained attacks.
The flow of those fleeing the violence towards the community of Tawila, approximately 80km (50 miles) west of el-Fasher, had accelerated in the last several days, as stated by United Nations refugee agency representative.
They were describing shocking accounts of violence, such as sexual violence, and the humanitarian group was struggling to secure sufficient shelter and food for them.
Every child was affected by nutritional deficiencies, she noted.
Estimates suggest that over 150,000 residents are still trapped in el-Fasher, which had been the army's remaining fortress in the western part of Darfur.
The RSF has disputed widespread claims that the killings in el-Fasher are driven by ethnicity and resemble a trend of the Arab fighters focusing on non-Arab populations.
However the paramilitary group has detained one of its militiamen, Abu Lulu, who has been accused of summary executions.
The force released recordings revealing the militiaman's detention following verification that he was involved in the execution of several unarmed men close to el-Fasher.
Video sharing service has verified that it has suspended the channel associated with Lulu. The status remains unclear whether he had managed the account in his name.
Sudan was plunged into a civil war in April 2023 after a vicious power struggle broke out between its military and the Rapid Support Forces.
This has resulted in a famine and allegations of ethnic cleansing in the western Darfur region.
More than 150,000 individuals have lost their lives in the fighting across the country, and approximately 12 million have fled their dwellings in what the United Nations has called the most extensive humanitarian disaster.
The takeover of el-Fasher reinforces the territorial division in the country, with the Rapid Support Forces now in dominance of Sudan's west and significant areas of adjacent Kordofan to the south, and the military occupying the main city, Khartoum, central and eastern areas along the coastal region.
The competing factions had been collaborators - coming to power together in a takeover in 2021 - but fell out over an foreign-endorsed proposal to move towards civilian rule.
