More than 60,000 Flee Sudanese City Following Takeover by RSF Paramilitary Group, United Nations Says

As stated by the UN refugee agency, in excess of 60,000 civilians have fled the Sudanese city of el-Fasher, which was taken over by the paramilitary RSF over the weekend.

There have been summary killings and atrocities as RSF fighters entered the city after an 18-month blockade characterized by starvation and intense shelling.

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

They were telling horrendous accounts of atrocities, such as sexual violence, and the agency was struggling to find enough shelter and supplies for them.

Each child was affected by malnutrition, she commented.

It is estimated that more than 150,000 individuals are presently stranded in el-Fasher, which had been the army's last bastion in the western part of Darfur.

The RSF has rejected extensive accusations that the executions in el-Fasher are driven by ethnicity and follow a pattern of the Arab paramilitaries attacking non-Arab populations.

Nevertheless the paramilitary group has detained one of its fighters, Abu Lulu, who has been charged with extrajudicial killings.

The group released recordings showing the militiaman's arrest after identification that he was responsible for the execution of multiple non-combatants in the vicinity of el-Fasher.

Social media platform has verified that it has removed the profile connected to Lulu. It is not clear whether he had operated the profile in his identity.

Sudan was entered a civil war in April 2023 after a vicious struggle for power erupted between its military and the Rapid Support Forces.

This has caused a famine and accusations of mass killing in the western Sudan.

Over 150,000 individuals have lost their lives in the conflict across the country, and approximately 12 million have fled their residences in what the UN has called the biggest global humanitarian disaster.

The takeover of el-Fasher strengthens the territorial division in the country, with the RSF now in command of Sudan's west and a large portion of neighbouring Kordofan to the southern area, and the military controlling the main city, Khartoum, central and eastern areas along the Red Sea.

The opposing sides had been partners - gaining control together in a takeover in 2021 - but fell out over an internationally backed initiative to move towards civilian leadership.