More than 60,000 Flee Sudanese City After Seizure by Rapid Support Forces Militia, United Nations Says

Refugees fleeing violence in the region
Many seek to get to the settlement of Tawila but face intimidation, extortion and abuse from fighters along the way

Per the United Nations refugee organization, more than 60,000 civilians have escaped the Sudanese city of el-Fasher, which was taken over by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces during the weekend.

There have been multiple executions and atrocities as paramilitary forces took control of the city after an extended siege marked by famine and heavy bombardment.

The exodus of those fleeing the fighting towards the town of Tawila, roughly 80km (50 miles) west of el-Fasher, had increased in the past few days, as stated by United Nations refugee agency representative.

They were describing horrendous accounts of atrocities, such as rape, and the organization was finding it difficult to find sufficient housing and nourishment for them.

Each child was experiencing undernourishment, she added.

Estimates suggest that in excess of 150,000 people are still unable to leave in el-Fasher, which had been the army's last bastion in the western part of Darfur.

The Rapid Support Forces has rejected extensive allegations that the killings in el-Fasher are driven by ethnicity and mirror a pattern of the Arab militia groups targeting non-Arab communities.

However the paramilitary group has arrested one of its members, Abu Lulu, who has been accused of extrajudicial killings.

The organization shared recordings depicting the militiaman's arrest subsequent to verification that he was behind the killing of numerous non-combatants near el-Fasher.

Social media platform has acknowledged that it has banned the channel associated with Lulu. The status remains unclear whether he had managed the profile in his identity.

Sudan was entered a internal conflict in April 2023 following a intense struggle for power began between its military and the Rapid Support Forces.

The conflict has led to a food crisis and accusations of ethnic cleansing in the western Sudan.

More than 150,000 people have lost their lives in the fighting across the country, and about 12 million have fled their residences in what the United Nations has called the most extensive humanitarian disaster.

The seizure of el-Fasher solidifies the geographic split in the country, with the RSF now in control of western Sudan and a large portion of adjacent Kordofan to the southern area, and the military occupying the main city, Khartoum, central and eastern areas along the Red Sea.

The opposing sides had been collaborators - gaining control together in a seizure of power in 2021 - but fell out over an internationally backed initiative to transition to civilian leadership.

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