Over 60,000 flee Sudanese city after RSF captures el-Fasher — UN

By The Inspirer. 

More than 60,000 people have fled the Sudanese city of el-Fasher following its capture by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), according to the UN refugee agency (UNHCR).

The agency said the mass exodus came after RSF fighters took control of the city over the weekend, ending an 18-month siege marked by starvation, bombardment, and reports of atrocities.

Eujin Byun, spokesperson for UNHCR, told the BBC that thousands of people were escaping towards the town of Tawila, around 80km (50 miles) west of el-Fasher.

“They are telling horrific stories of atrocities, including rape,” she said, adding that the agency was struggling to provide adequate shelter and food for the displaced. “Every child is suffering from malnutrition.”

The UN estimates that more than 150,000 people remain trapped in el-Fasher, which had been the army’s last stronghold in Sudan’s western Darfur region.

The RSF has denied widespread accusations that the killings in el-Fasher are ethnically driven, despite long-standing reports of Arab militias targeting non-Arab communities.

The group announced that it had detained one of its fighters, known as Abu Lulu, who was accused of carrying out summary executions. Footage of his arrest was released after BBC Verify identified him as the man seen executing unarmed prisoners near el-Fasher.

TikTok confirmed to the BBC that it had banned the account linked to the fighter, though it remains unclear if he personally controlled the account.

Sudan descended into civil war in April 2023 after a power struggle between the national army and the RSF. The conflict has since led to famine and allegations of genocide in Darfur.

More than 150,000 people have been killed across the country, while around 12 million have been displaced, in what the UN describes as the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.

The fall of el-Fasher marks a significant shift in control, with the RSF now holding most of western Sudan and parts of Kordofan, while the army remains entrenched in the capital Khartoum, central regions, and areas along the Red Sea.

The two rival forces were once allies, having jointly seized power in a 2021 coup, but their partnership collapsed amid disputes over an internationally backed plan to restore civilian rule.