🔗 Share this article

Per the UN refugee agency, over 60,000 civilians have escaped the Sudanese city of el-Fasher, which was seized by the militia Rapid Support Forces over the weekend.

Reports indicate mass executions and crimes against humanity as militia members entered the city following an 18-month encirclement marked by starvation and intense shelling.

The exodus of those running from the violence towards the community of Tawila, approximately 80km (50 miles) west of el-Fasher, had increased in the recent days, per UNHCR spokesperson.

Survivors were describing shocking stories of violence, including sexual violence, and the organization was struggling to secure enough housing and nourishment for them.

Each child was experiencing undernourishment, she added.

Estimates suggest that over 150,000 individuals are currently trapped in el-Fasher, which had been the military's remaining bastion in the western region of Darfur.

The Rapid Support Forces has disputed extensive allegations that the executions in el-Fasher are based on ethnic factors and follow a pattern of the Arab militia groups targeting non-Arab communities.

However the paramilitary group has custodied one of its militiamen, Abu Lulu, who has been accused of summary executions.

The group distributed footage showing the member's apprehension following verification that he was involved in the killing of several civilians near el-Fasher.

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

Sudan was entered a internal conflict in April 2023 when a brutal power struggle broke out between its military and the RSF.

The conflict has led to a starvation emergency and claims of ethnic cleansing in the Darfur area.

In excess of 150,000 individuals have lost their lives in the war across the country, and approximately 12 million have fled their homes in what the United Nations has described as the world's largest humanitarian crisis.

The takeover of el-Fasher reinforces the regional separation in the country, with the Rapid Support Forces now in control of the western region and much of bordering Kordofan to the southern area, and the army holding the capital, Khartoum, central and eastern areas along the Red Sea.

The two warring rivals had been partners - taking over together in a coup in 2021 - but fell out over an globally supported initiative to transition to democratic governance.