Over 60,000 Escape Sudanese City Following Seizure by RSF Militia, UN States

Per the United Nations refugee organization, in excess of 60,000 individuals have fled the Sudanese city of el-Fasher, which was seized by the paramilitary RSF during the weekend.

Accounts suggest summary killings and crimes against humanity as militia members took control of the city following an extended blockade featuring starvation and intense shelling.

The movement of those fleeing the conflict towards the community of Tawila, approximately 80km (50 miles) west of el-Fasher, had increased in the past few days, per United Nations refugee agency spokesperson.

They were narrating horrendous tales of abuses, including rape, and the agency was having trouble to secure adequate shelter and supplies for them.

Each child was suffering from nutritional deficiencies, she noted.

Estimates suggest that in excess of 150,000 individuals are presently unable to leave in el-Fasher, which had been the military's remaining fortress in the western part of Darfur.

The Rapid Support Forces has rejected broad accusations that the deaths in el-Fasher are driven by ethnicity and resemble a trend of the Arab fighters targeting non-Arab populations.

Yet the RSF has detained one of its militiamen, Abu Lulu, who has been charged with on-the-spot executions.

The force shared recordings showing the fighter's detention following confirmation that he was involved in the execution of numerous civilians in the vicinity of el-Fasher.

Video sharing service has verified that it has removed the profile connected to Lulu. It is not clear whether he had managed the profile in his identity.

Sudan was thrown into a civil war in April 2023 when a vicious contest for control broke out between its military and the RSF.

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

Over 150,000 individuals have lost their lives in the fighting around the country, and roughly 12 million have fled their residences in what the United Nations has termed the biggest global humanitarian crisis.

The takeover of el-Fasher reinforces the regional separation in the country, with the RSF now in control of the western region and significant areas of bordering Kordofan to the southern area, and the army holding the capital, Khartoum, the center and east along the coastal region.

The two warring rivals had been allies - taking over together in a takeover in 2021 - but disagreed over an globally supported plan to advance to civilian rule.