More than 60,000 Flee Sudan's City Following Seizure by Rapid Support Forces Paramilitary Group, UN Says

According to the UNHCR, more than 60,000 civilians have fled the city in Sudan of el-Fasher, which was seized by the paramilitary RSF over the weekend.

Accounts suggest mass executions and crimes against humanity as militia members took control of the city after an extended blockade characterized by famine and intense shelling.

The flow of those escaping the violence towards the town of Tawila, about 80km (50 miles) west of el-Fasher, had accelerated in the last several days, as stated by United Nations refugee agency representative.

Survivors were describing horrendous tales of atrocities, such as sexual violence, and the organization was struggling to locate adequate accommodation and supplies for them.

Every child was experiencing nutritional deficiencies, she commented.

Calculations indicate that over 150,000 residents are presently unable to leave in el-Fasher, which had been the army's last stronghold in the western part of Darfur.

The RSF has rejected widespread accusations that the deaths in el-Fasher are ethnically motivated and resemble a practice of the Arab fighters focusing on ethnic minorities.

Yet the RSF has arrested one of its militiamen, Abu Lulu, who has been implicated in summary executions.

The organization released recordings showing the militiaman's arrest following confirmation that he was behind the death of several civilians in the vicinity of el-Fasher.

Social media platform has acknowledged that it has suspended the channel connected to Lulu. It is not clear whether he had controlled the account in his name.

Sudan was thrown into a civil war in April 2023 following a intense power struggle broke out between its army and the RSF.

This has caused a food crisis and accusations of ethnic cleansing in the Darfur area.

Over 150,000 individuals have lost their lives in the fighting across the country, and about 12 million have fled their homes in what the United Nations has called the biggest global humanitarian emergency.

The seizure of el-Fasher solidifies the geographic split in the country, with the RSF now in dominance of western Sudan and a large portion of bordering Kordofan to the southern area, and the army controlling the main city, Khartoum, the center and east along the Red Sea.

The competing factions had been collaborators - gaining control together in a coup in 2021 - but disagreed over an foreign-endorsed initiative to transition to civilian rule.