Over 60,000 Escape Sudanese City Following Capture by Rapid Support Forces Militia, UN Reports

Per the UN refugee agency, in excess of 60,000 individuals have escaped the Sudanese city of el-Fasher, which was taken over by the militia Rapid Support Forces over the weekend.

There have been mass executions and atrocities as militia members stormed the city after an extended blockade marked by famine and heavy bombardment.

The movement of those running from the conflict towards the town of Tawila, about 80km (50 miles) west of el-Fasher, had grown in the recent days, as stated by United Nations refugee agency representative.

Survivors were narrating shocking accounts of atrocities, including rape, and the humanitarian group was finding it difficult to find adequate accommodation and food for them.

Every child was affected by nutritional deficiencies, she noted.

Estimates suggest that over 150,000 people are still stranded in el-Fasher, which had been the military's final bastion in the western part of Darfur.

The RSF has denied widespread accusations that the executions in el-Fasher are driven by ethnicity and resemble a practice of the Arab paramilitaries targeting non-Arab communities.

Yet the RSF has arrested one of its members, Abu Lulu, who has been implicated in extrajudicial killings.

The force released footage revealing the fighter's arrest after confirmation that he was responsible for the death of numerous non-combatants in the vicinity of el-Fasher.

Social media platform has confirmed that it has removed the channel connected to Lulu. Uncertainty exists whether he had managed the account in his identity.

Sudan was plunged into a civil war in April 2023 following a vicious struggle for power broke out between its military and the RSF.

It has resulted in a starvation emergency and allegations of mass killing in the western Darfur region.

Over 150,000 persons have been killed in the conflict across the country, and approximately 12 million have abandoned their homes in what the UN has termed the biggest global humanitarian emergency.

The seizure of el-Fasher reinforces the regional separation in the country, with the RSF now in dominance of western Sudan and significant areas of neighbouring Kordofan to the southern area, and the military holding the capital, Khartoum, central and eastern regions along the coastal region.

The competing factions had been allies - gaining control together in a seizure of power in 2021 - but disagreed over an globally supported proposal to transition to civilian rule.