More than 60,000 Flee Sudanese City After Seizure by RSF Militia, UN Says
According to the UN refugee agency, more than 60,000 civilians have fled the Sudanese city of el-Fasher, which was captured by the militia RSF during the weekend.
Reports indicate multiple executions and atrocities as militia members entered the city after an extended siege marked by food shortages and heavy bombardment.
The exodus of those running from the conflict towards the town of Tawila, roughly 80km (50 miles) west of el-Fasher, had increased in the past few days, according to UNHCR spokesperson.
Survivors were narrating horrendous stories of abuses, such as sexual violence, and the organization was finding it difficult to locate sufficient shelter and nourishment for them.
Each child was experiencing undernourishment, she added.
Estimates suggest that more than 150,000 people are still trapped in el-Fasher, which had been the military's final fortress in the western region of Darfur.
The RSF has disputed broad claims that the deaths in el-Fasher are based on ethnic factors and resemble a pattern of the Arab paramilitaries focusing on non-Arab populations.
However the paramilitary group has arrested one of its fighters, Abu Lulu, who has been implicated in extrajudicial killings.
The group distributed recordings depicting the militiaman's arrest subsequent to confirmation that he was responsible for the execution of several civilians close to el-Fasher.
Video sharing service has acknowledged that it has suspended the account linked to Lulu. The status remains unclear whether he had operated the profile in his identity.
Sudan was entered a internal conflict in April 2023 following a intense struggle for power began between its army and the RSF.
The conflict has resulted in a starvation emergency and claims of ethnic cleansing in the western Darfur region.
In excess of 150,000 persons have lost their lives in the war around the country, and about 12 million have fled their residences in what the United Nations has described as the world's largest humanitarian crisis.
The seizure of el-Fasher strengthens the regional separation in the country, with the RSF now in control of Sudan's west and a large portion of adjacent Kordofan to the southern area, and the military controlling the main city, Khartoum, central and eastern areas along the Red Sea.
The two warring rivals had been allies - taking over together in a takeover in 2021 - but fell out over an globally supported initiative to move towards civilian leadership.