🔗 Share this article Over 60,000 Run from Sudanese City After Seizure by RSF Militia, UN Reports Many seek to reach the town of Tawila but face intimidation, demands for money and mistreatment from fighters along the way As stated by the United Nations refugee organization, in excess of 60,000 people have fled the city in Sudan of el-Fasher, which was seized by the paramilitary RSF over the weekend. Reports indicate mass executions and atrocities as militia members entered the city following an 18-month blockade featuring famine and intense shelling. The exodus of those running from the fighting towards the community of Tawila, roughly 80km (50 miles) west of el-Fasher, had increased in the last several days, per United Nations refugee agency representative. Refugees were telling shocking accounts of violence, such as sexual violence, and the organization was finding it difficult to find sufficient shelter and supplies for them. Every child was affected by undernourishment, she noted. It is estimated that over 150,000 individuals are currently trapped in el-Fasher, which had been the military's remaining fortress in the western region of Darfur. The Rapid Support Forces has denied broad allegations that the killings in el-Fasher are based on ethnic factors and resemble a trend of the Arab paramilitaries focusing on non-Arab populations. However the RSF has arrested one of its militiamen, Abu Lulu, who has been accused of extrajudicial killings. The force shared recordings showing the militiaman's arrest after confirmation that he was involved in the execution of numerous non-combatants near el-Fasher. Social media platform has acknowledged that it has banned the account associated with Lulu. The status remains unclear whether he had controlled the account in his name. Sudan was thrown into a internal conflict in April 2023 following a brutal contest for control erupted between its army and the RSF. It has led to a famine and allegations of mass killing in the western Darfur region. More than 150,000 people have lost their lives in the conflict throughout the country, and approximately 12 million have fled their homes in what the UN has termed the most extensive humanitarian disaster. The capture of el-Fasher strengthens the territorial division in the country, with the Rapid Support Forces now in command of the western region and much of adjacent Kordofan to the southern area, and the army controlling the capital, Khartoum, central and eastern areas along the coastal region. The two warring rivals had been collaborators - gaining control together in a seizure of power in 2021 - but disagreed over an foreign-endorsed proposal to transition to civilian rule.