More than 60,000 Escape Sudanese City After Seizure by Rapid Support Forces Paramilitary Group, United Nations Says

Refugees fleeing violence in Sudan
Numerous are attempting to get to the settlement of Tawila but experience harassment, demands for money and mistreatment from fighters during their journey

Per the United Nations refugee organization, in excess of 60,000 people have escaped the city in Sudan of el-Fasher, which was seized by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces over the weekend.

Accounts suggest multiple executions and atrocities as militia members took control of the city following an 18-month encirclement marked by starvation and heavy bombardment.

The exodus of those running from the conflict towards the town of Tawila, roughly 80km (50 miles) to the west of el-Fasher, had increased in the past few days, according to UNHCR spokesperson.

Refugees were describing shocking accounts of violence, such as rape, and the agency was having trouble to locate enough housing and nourishment for them.

Each child was suffering from undernourishment, she commented.

Calculations indicate that in excess of 150,000 people are currently trapped in el-Fasher, which had been the military's remaining fortress in the western part of Darfur.

The Rapid Support Forces has denied widespread allegations that the executions in el-Fasher are based on ethnic factors and resemble a practice of the Arab militia groups focusing on ethnic minorities.

However the RSF has arrested one of its members, Abu Lulu, who has been charged with extrajudicial killings.

The group distributed footage depicting the member's apprehension following identification that he was involved in the execution of numerous unarmed men near el-Fasher.

Social media platform has verified that it has suspended the profile associated with Lulu. The status remains unclear whether he had controlled the account in his identity.

Sudan was entered a domestic fighting in April 2023 when a brutal struggle for power broke out between its army and the RSF.

This has resulted in a food crisis and accusations of ethnic cleansing in the western Sudan.

Over 150,000 people have been killed in the war throughout the country, and roughly 12 million have left their dwellings in what the UN has termed the world's largest humanitarian crisis.

The seizure of el-Fasher solidifies the regional separation in the country, with the RSF now in command of western Sudan and much of neighbouring Kordofan to the south, and the army holding the capital, Khartoum, central and eastern regions along the coastal region.

The opposing sides had been collaborators - gaining control together in a takeover in 2021 - but fell out over an globally supported proposal to advance to civilian leadership.

Aaron Roberts
Aaron Roberts

A seasoned casino strategist with over a decade of experience in gaming analysis and player psychology.