In excess of 60,000 Flee Sudanese City In the wake of Seizure by Rapid Support Forces Militia, United Nations Reports
Per the UN refugee agency, more than 60,000 civilians have fled the city in Sudan of el-Fasher, which was seized by the militia Rapid Support Forces during the weekend.
Accounts suggest multiple executions and atrocities as paramilitary forces stormed the city after an 18-month encirclement marked by famine and heavy bombardment.
The movement of those fleeing the fighting towards the town of Tawila, about 80km (50 miles) west of el-Fasher, had accelerated in the recent days, per UNHCR spokesperson.
They were narrating terrible stories of violence, including rape, and the humanitarian group was struggling to locate sufficient accommodation and nourishment for them.
Each child was suffering from undernourishment, she added.
Calculations indicate that more than 150,000 residents are presently trapped in el-Fasher, which had been the military's final fortress in the western region of Darfur.
The Rapid Support Forces has denied broad allegations that the executions in el-Fasher are based on ethnic factors and follow a trend of the Arab fighters focusing on non-Arab populations.
Nevertheless the paramilitary group has custodied one of its militiamen, Abu Lulu, who has been charged with extrajudicial killings.
The organization shared footage depicting the member's detention subsequent to confirmation that he was responsible for the execution of multiple non-combatants near el-Fasher.
Digital platform has acknowledged that it has removed the account linked to Lulu. It is not clear whether he had controlled the account in his identity.
Sudan was thrown into a domestic fighting in April 2023 after a brutal struggle for power broke out between its military and the Rapid Support Forces.
It has led to a food crisis and accusations of mass killing in the western Sudan.
More than 150,000 individuals have died in the fighting around the country, and roughly 12 million have fled their residences in what the UN has termed the world's largest humanitarian crisis.
The seizure of el-Fasher solidifies the territorial division in the country, with the Rapid Support Forces now in dominance of the western region and significant areas of bordering Kordofan to the southern area, and the military holding the capital, Khartoum, central and eastern regions along the coastal region.
The two warring rivals had been partners - taking over together in a seizure of power in 2021 - but disagreed over an foreign-endorsed proposal to transition to civilian rule.
