More than 60,000 Flee Sudanese City After Takeover by Rapid Support Forces Paramilitary Group, United Nations Reports

Refugees escaping violence in Sudan
Many are trying to reach the town of Tawila but face intimidation, extortion and mistreatment from fighters during their journey

As stated by the UN refugee agency, in excess of 60,000 people have fled the city in Sudan of el-Fasher, which was taken over by the paramilitary RSF over the weekend.

There have been summary killings and human rights violations as militia members took control of the city following an year-and-a-half siege marked by famine and intense shelling.

The flow of those fleeing the conflict towards the town of Tawila, about 80km (50 miles) to the west of el-Fasher, had increased in the recent days, as stated by United Nations refugee agency spokesperson.

Refugees were narrating horrendous stories of abuses, featuring sexual violence, and the agency was having trouble to locate sufficient housing and supplies for them.

All children was experiencing nutritional deficiencies, she added.

Calculations indicate that over 150,000 individuals are still trapped in el-Fasher, which had been the military's last fortress in the western part of Darfur.

The RSF has denied widespread allegations that the executions in el-Fasher are driven by ethnicity and follow a practice of the Arab fighters attacking ethnic minorities.

Yet the RSF has custodied one of its militiamen, Abu Lulu, who has been charged with extrajudicial killings.

The organization distributed video revealing the fighter's apprehension after confirmation that he was involved in the death of several civilians close to el-Fasher.

Digital platform has acknowledged that it has banned the channel connected to Lulu. Uncertainty exists whether he had controlled the profile in his identity.

Sudan was plunged into a internal conflict in April 2023 following a brutal contest for control erupted between its army and the RSF.

This has led to a starvation emergency and claims of ethnic cleansing in the western Darfur region.

In excess of 150,000 persons have lost their lives in the fighting around the country, and approximately 12 million have abandoned their homes in what the United Nations has called the world's largest humanitarian disaster.

The seizure of el-Fasher strengthens the territorial division in the country, with the Rapid Support Forces now in dominance of Sudan's west and significant areas of adjacent Kordofan to the southern area, and the army occupying the capital, Khartoum, central and eastern areas along the coastal region.

The two warring rivals had been partners - gaining control together in a seizure of power in 2021 - but disagreed over an internationally backed proposal to move towards civilian leadership.

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