🔗 Share this article In excess of 60,000 Escape Sudanese City Following Capture by RSF Militia, United Nations Says Numerous are attempting to get to the town of Tawila but encounter intimidation, extortion and abuse from fighters during their journey According to the United Nations refugee organization, over 60,000 individuals have fled the Sudanese city of el-Fasher, which was taken over by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces recently. There have been multiple executions and human rights violations as paramilitary forces entered the city following an extended encirclement marked by starvation and intense shelling. The flow of those running from the conflict towards the town of Tawila, about 80km (50 miles) west of el-Fasher, had accelerated in the past few days, as stated by United Nations refugee agency spokesperson. Refugees were narrating terrible tales of abuses, featuring sexual violence, and the humanitarian group was struggling to locate enough shelter and food for them. Each child was suffering from nutritional deficiencies, she added. Estimates suggest that over 150,000 residents are presently trapped in el-Fasher, which had been the army's remaining stronghold in the western part of Darfur. The RSF has rejected broad accusations that the deaths in el-Fasher are driven by ethnicity and resemble a practice of the Arab fighters attacking non-Arab communities. Yet the RSF has arrested one of its militiamen, Abu Lulu, who has been charged with on-the-spot executions. The organization released footage showing the militiaman's detention after verification that he was behind the execution of numerous civilians close to el-Fasher. Video sharing service has verified that it has removed the account linked to Lulu. Uncertainty exists whether he had controlled the profile in his identity. Sudan was thrown into a civil war in April 2023 after a brutal power struggle began between its army and the RSF. The conflict has resulted in a famine and accusations of mass killing in the western Sudan. Over 150,000 people have died in the conflict throughout the country, and about 12 million have abandoned their homes in what the United Nations has called the biggest global humanitarian emergency. The capture of el-Fasher reinforces the territorial division in the country, with the RSF now in dominance of western Sudan and a large portion of adjacent Kordofan to the southern area, and the army controlling the capital, Khartoum, central and eastern areas along the coastal region. The opposing sides had been allies - taking over together in a coup in 2021 - but fell out over an foreign-endorsed initiative to move towards democratic governance.