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Over 60,000 flee Sudan's el-Fasher after RSF capture amid atrocity reports
More than 60,000 civilians have abandoned the Sudanese city of el-Fasher following its seizure by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) over the weekend, the UN refugee agency reported on Saturday. Survivors arriving in nearby towns describe mass executions, systematic rape, and severe malnutrition among children, as the conflict in Sudan's Darfur region escalates into what aid workers call a humanitarian catastrophe.
Survivors recount horrors as displacement surges
Eujin Byun of the UNHCR told the BBC that thousands have flooded toward Tawila, a town 80 km (50 miles) west of el-Fasher, in recent days, overwhelming relief efforts. "Every child is malnourished," Byun stated, adding that shelters and food supplies are critically insufficient. Reports from fleeing residents include accounts of summary killings, ethnic targeting, and gender-based violence during the RSF's assault after an 18-month siege marked by starvation and relentless shelling.
RSF denies ethnic motivations but detains accused fighter
The RSF has rejected claims that its operations in el-Fasher-once the Sudanese army's last Darfur stronghold-follow a pattern of Arab militias targeting non-Arab communities. However, the group confirmed the detention of one of its members, Abu Lulu, after BBC Verify linked him to the execution of unarmed men near the city. Footage circulated by the RSF showed Lulu's arrest, while TikTok confirmed it had banned an account associated with his name. The platform did not clarify whether Lulu directly controlled the account.
"The scale of suffering is unimaginable. Families arrive with nothing-no food, no medicine, just the clothes they're wearing."
Eujin Byun, UNHCR spokesperson
Strategic shift as RSF consolidates western Sudan
The fall of el-Fasher cements the RSF's dominance over western Sudan and much of the adjacent Kordofan region, deepening the country's geographic divide. The army now holds Khartoum, central Sudan, and Red Sea coastal areas. The conflict, which erupted in April 2023 after a power struggle between the army and RSF-former allies in a 2021 coup-has killed over 150,000 people and displaced 12 million, according to UN estimates.
Humanitarian crisis labeled 'world's worst'
With famine declared in parts of Darfur and accusations of genocide mounting, the UN describes Sudan's collapse as the globe's largest humanitarian emergency. An estimated 150,000 civilians remain trapped in el-Fasher, where aid access has been severed for months. The RSF's denial of ethnic targeting contrasts with survivor testimonies and documented patterns of violence against non-Arab groups since the war's outset.
Background: From allies to adversaries
The RSF and Sudanese army jointly seized power in a 2021 coup but later clashed over plans to transition to civilian rule, igniting the current war. International mediation efforts have repeatedly stalled, while both sides accuse each other of obstructing aid deliveries to starving populations. Analysts warn the capture of el-Fasher could embolden the RSF to push further east, risking wider regional instability.
