In excess of 60,000 Flee Sudan's City In the wake of Takeover by RSF Paramilitary Group, UN States
Per the UN refugee agency, more than 60,000 civilians have left the city in Sudan of el-Fasher, which was captured by the militia RSF during the weekend.
Accounts suggest summary killings and human rights violations as militia members stormed the city after an extended blockade featuring famine and heavy bombardment.
The movement of those fleeing the fighting towards the community of Tawila, approximately 80km (50 miles) to the west of el-Fasher, had increased in the last several days, per UNHCR spokesperson.
Survivors were narrating shocking tales of abuses, including rape, and the agency was having trouble to locate enough shelter and nourishment for them.
All children was experiencing undernourishment, she noted.
Estimates suggest that in excess of 150,000 people are still stranded in el-Fasher, which had been the army's remaining stronghold in the western part of Darfur.
The RSF has disputed widespread claims that the deaths in el-Fasher are ethnically motivated and resemble a pattern of the Arab fighters targeting ethnic minorities.
However the RSF has arrested one of its members, Abu Lulu, who has been accused of summary executions.
The force distributed recordings depicting the militiaman's apprehension after identification that he was responsible for the killing of several unarmed men close to el-Fasher.
Digital platform has confirmed that it has removed the profile associated with Lulu. It is not clear whether he had controlled the account in his identity.
Sudan was entered a internal conflict in April 2023 after a brutal power struggle began between its military and the Rapid Support Forces.
The conflict has resulted in a famine and allegations of ethnic cleansing in the Darfur area.
Over 150,000 people have died in the war around the country, and roughly 12 million have left their residences in what the UN has described as the most extensive humanitarian emergency.
The seizure of el-Fasher strengthens the regional separation in the country, with the RSF now in command of Sudan's west and much of bordering Kordofan to the southern area, and the army controlling the capital, Khartoum, central and eastern areas along the coastal region.
The competing factions had been partners - gaining control together in a takeover in 2021 - but disagreed over an globally supported initiative to move towards democratic governance.