In excess of 60,000 Run from Sudanese City In the wake of Seizure by RSF Militia, United Nations Says

Refugees escaping violence in Sudan
Many are attempting to reach the settlement of Tawila but encounter intimidation, extortion and abuse from militiamen during their journey

Per the UNHCR, over 60,000 people have left the city in Sudan of el-Fasher, which was captured by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces over the weekend.

There have been multiple executions and atrocities as paramilitary forces took control of the city after an 18-month encirclement marked by food shortages and intense shelling.

The flow of those running from the fighting towards the town of Tawila, about 80km (50 miles) to the west of el-Fasher, had grown in the past few days, according to United Nations refugee agency spokesperson.

They were telling horrendous tales of atrocities, such as rape, and the agency was having trouble to locate enough accommodation and nourishment for them.

Each child was experiencing malnutrition, she added.

It is estimated that more than 150,000 residents are still trapped in el-Fasher, which had been the military's remaining fortress in the western region of Darfur.

The RSF has disputed widespread claims that the executions in el-Fasher are based on ethnic factors and mirror a practice of the Arab fighters targeting ethnic minorities.

Nevertheless the paramilitary group has custodied one of its militiamen, Abu Lulu, who has been accused of summary executions.

The group distributed recordings showing the militiaman's arrest subsequent to verification that he was behind the death of several non-combatants near el-Fasher.

Digital platform has verified that it has removed the profile linked to Lulu. Uncertainty exists whether he had controlled the profile in his name.

Sudan was entered a domestic fighting in April 2023 when a vicious power struggle began between its military and the Rapid Support Forces.

This has led to a food crisis and allegations of ethnic cleansing in the western Sudan.

In excess of 150,000 individuals have died in the war throughout the country, and approximately 12 million have abandoned their residences in what the United Nations has termed the biggest global humanitarian emergency.

The seizure of el-Fasher strengthens the regional separation in the country, with the RSF now in control of the western region and much of adjacent Kordofan to the southern area, and the army holding the main city, Khartoum, central and eastern areas along the coastal region.

The opposing sides had been partners - gaining control together in a takeover in 2021 - but disagreed over an internationally backed initiative to transition to democratic governance.

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