Over 60,000 Flee Sudan's City After Capture by RSF Militia, United Nations States
As stated by the UN refugee agency, over 60,000 individuals have fled the Sudanese city of el-Fasher, which was seized by the militia RSF during the weekend.
There have been multiple executions and crimes against humanity as militia members stormed the city after an 18-month encirclement featuring food shortages and heavy bombardment.
The movement of those running from the violence towards the town of Tawila, roughly 80km (50 miles) to the west of el-Fasher, had grown in the recent days, according to UNHCR representative.
Survivors were narrating shocking tales of violence, featuring rape, and the agency was struggling to secure sufficient housing and nourishment for them.
Each child was suffering from nutritional deficiencies, she noted.
Calculations indicate that over 150,000 residents are currently stranded in el-Fasher, which had been the army's last stronghold in the western region of Darfur.
The RSF has denied widespread claims that the executions in el-Fasher are driven by ethnicity and mirror a trend of the Arab militia groups attacking ethnic minorities.
Nevertheless the paramilitary group has custodied one of its militiamen, Abu Lulu, who has been charged with summary executions.
The force distributed video depicting the militiaman's detention following verification that he was involved in the death of several unarmed men in the vicinity of el-Fasher.
Digital platform has confirmed that it has removed the channel linked to Lulu. It is not clear whether he had controlled the profile in his identity.
Sudan was entered a civil war in April 2023 when a intense contest for control broke out between its army and the RSF.
The conflict has led to a food crisis and accusations of mass killing in the western Darfur region.
More than 150,000 persons have died in the fighting across the country, and about 12 million have abandoned their residences in what the UN has termed the biggest global humanitarian crisis.
The seizure of el-Fasher solidifies the geographic split in the country, with the Rapid Support Forces now in dominance of Sudan's west and significant areas of bordering Kordofan to the southern area, and the military holding the main city, Khartoum, central and eastern regions along the Red Sea.
The competing factions had been allies - taking over together in a seizure of power in 2021 - but fell out over an internationally backed plan to transition to civilian leadership.