In excess of 60,000 Run from Sudan's City In the wake of Seizure by Rapid Support Forces Militia, United Nations States

Displaced people fleeing violence in Sudan
Numerous seek to reach the town of Tawila but face harassment, demands for money and mistreatment from militiamen during their journey

Per the UN refugee agency, over 60,000 individuals have escaped the city in Sudan of el-Fasher, which was captured by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces over the weekend.

Accounts suggest multiple executions and atrocities as paramilitary forces entered the city after an extended encirclement characterized by starvation and intense shelling.

The flow of those fleeing the conflict towards the town of Tawila, roughly 80km (50 miles) west of el-Fasher, had accelerated in the past few days, according to UNHCR representative.

Survivors were describing terrible accounts of abuses, including rape, and the humanitarian group was finding it difficult to secure enough housing and nourishment for them.

Every child was affected by nutritional deficiencies, she noted.

It is estimated that over 150,000 residents are still unable to leave in el-Fasher, which had been the military's last bastion in the western part of Darfur.

The Rapid Support Forces has rejected extensive accusations that the killings in el-Fasher are driven by ethnicity and resemble a pattern of the Arab fighters attacking non-Arab communities.

However the RSF has arrested one of its fighters, Abu Lulu, who has been charged with on-the-spot executions.

The organization distributed video depicting the militiaman's arrest subsequent to confirmation that he was behind the execution of several non-combatants close to el-Fasher.

Social media platform has acknowledged that it has removed the channel associated with Lulu. Uncertainty exists whether he had managed the account in his name.

Sudan was entered a internal conflict in April 2023 when a vicious struggle for power erupted between its army and the RSF.

This has led to a famine and allegations of genocide in the Darfur area.

In excess of 150,000 people have died in the conflict around the country, and about 12 million have left their residences in what the United Nations has termed the most extensive humanitarian disaster.

The takeover of el-Fasher strengthens the territorial division in the country, with the Rapid Support Forces now in control of western Sudan and a large portion of bordering Kordofan to the south, and the army occupying the main city, Khartoum, the center and east along the coastal region.

The opposing sides had been partners - gaining control together in a coup in 2021 - but split over an internationally backed initiative to move towards democratic governance.

Tyler Smith
Tyler Smith

A gaming technology analyst with over a decade of experience in slot machine design and industry regulation, passionate about innovation.