🔗 Share this article In excess of 60,000 Escape Sudanese City Following Seizure by RSF Militia, United Nations Reports Numerous are trying to get to the settlement of Tawila but experience harassment, extortion and abuse from militiamen along the way As stated by the UN refugee agency, over 60,000 civilians have left the city in Sudan of el-Fasher, which was seized by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces during the weekend. There have been multiple executions and crimes against humanity as paramilitary forces entered the city after an extended blockade characterized by food shortages and sustained attacks. The movement of those fleeing the violence towards the town of Tawila, about 80km (50 miles) west of el-Fasher, had accelerated in the recent days, per United Nations refugee agency representative. They were narrating terrible tales of atrocities, featuring sexual violence, and the humanitarian group was struggling to find sufficient shelter and supplies for them. Every child was experiencing nutritional deficiencies, she added. Estimates suggest that more than 150,000 people are presently stranded in el-Fasher, which had been the military's last bastion in the western region of Darfur. The Rapid Support Forces has disputed widespread claims that the killings in el-Fasher are based on ethnic factors and follow a pattern of the Arab militia groups targeting ethnic minorities. Nevertheless the paramilitary group has custodied one of its fighters, Abu Lulu, who has been implicated in on-the-spot executions. The force released recordings depicting the fighter's arrest following identification that he was responsible for the execution of numerous civilians in the vicinity of el-Fasher. Video sharing service has verified that it has removed the profile associated with Lulu. The status remains unclear whether he had operated the account in his name. Sudan was thrown into a civil war in April 2023 following a brutal contest for control began between its army and the RSF. This has caused a starvation emergency and allegations of ethnic cleansing in the western Sudan. Over 150,000 persons have been killed in the conflict across the country, and roughly 12 million have abandoned their residences in what the UN has described as the biggest global humanitarian emergency. The seizure of el-Fasher reinforces the territorial division in the country, with the RSF now in dominance of the western region and a large portion of neighbouring Kordofan to the southern area, and the army holding the main city, Khartoum, central and eastern areas along the coastal region. The opposing sides had been collaborators - taking over together in a coup in 2021 - but split over an internationally backed proposal to advance to democratic governance.