More than 60,000 Flee Sudan's City Following Capture by RSF Paramilitary Group, United Nations Reports
According to the United Nations refugee organization, in excess of 60,000 civilians have left the city in Sudan of el-Fasher, which was seized by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces recently.
There have been mass executions and crimes against humanity as paramilitary forces stormed the city after an extended blockade featuring food shortages and sustained attacks.
The movement of those fleeing the fighting towards the community of Tawila, approximately 80km (50 miles) to the west of el-Fasher, had accelerated in the past few days, according to UNHCR spokesperson.
They were telling terrible tales of violence, including sexual violence, and the humanitarian group was having trouble to secure enough housing and nourishment for them.
All children was suffering from undernourishment, she noted.
Estimates suggest that over 150,000 residents are presently stranded in el-Fasher, which had been the military's last stronghold in the western region of Darfur.
The RSF has disputed broad accusations that the executions in el-Fasher are driven by ethnicity and follow a pattern of the Arab militia groups targeting ethnic minorities.
Yet the RSF has arrested one of its militiamen, Abu Lulu, who has been accused of summary executions.
The group released recordings showing the member's detention after identification that he was behind the death of numerous civilians near el-Fasher.
Video sharing service has verified that it has removed the account connected to Lulu. The status remains unclear whether he had managed the profile in his name.
Sudan was entered a domestic fighting in April 2023 following a intense power struggle broke out between its army and the RSF.
This has resulted in a food crisis and claims of genocide in the western Darfur region.
More than 150,000 individuals have died in the conflict throughout the country, and roughly 12 million have fled their dwellings in what the United Nations has described as the biggest global humanitarian disaster.
The capture of el-Fasher reinforces the regional separation in the country, with the RSF now in command of Sudan's west and a large portion of bordering Kordofan to the southern area, and the military holding the capital, Khartoum, central and eastern regions along the Red Sea.
The opposing sides had been allies - gaining control together in a seizure of power in 2021 - but disagreed over an internationally backed proposal to transition to civilian leadership.
