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Twelve-year-old describes RSF attacks during escape from besieged city
A 12-year-old Sudanese boy, identified only as Abdiwahab for his protection, broke down in tears as he described repeated assaults by Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitaries during his 80 km (50-mile) flight from el-Fasher to Tawila, according to testimony obtained by the BBC. His account comes as the UN estimates 60,000 civilians have fled the city since its fall to RSF forces on Sunday, with survivors reporting widespread atrocities including rape and arbitrary executions.
Separated from family amid chaos
Abdiwahab left el-Fasher with his father and siblings but became separated during the chaotic exodus. "I walked along the road, and on the road, [the RSF] caught me, many times," he said in a video recorded by a volunteer aid worker. "They beat me and hit me, saying, 'this little boy is a spy.'" The boy arrived alone in Tawila after three days of walking, unsure whether his mother and sister-taken by RSF fighters a month earlier-are still alive.
His experience aligns with broader reports of men and boys facing heightened risks of detention, violence, and summary execution during the escape. Aid workers at Tawila's makeshift camps describe a steady influx of traumatized survivors, including unaccompanied minors. "Just yesterday, twin children around 10 years old arrived with a woman who said their parents had died on the way," said Ali, a volunteer who filmed Abdiwahab's account.
Desperate conditions in Tawila
New arrivals in Tawila-many injured, malnourished, or psychologically scarred-overwhelm limited humanitarian resources. Ali described survivors passing "dead bodies scattered along the road" and hearing wounded civilians cry for help. Women and children, he said, arrive after days without food or water, entirely dependent on strained aid networks.
"Supplies have stabilized, but conservation remains essential. The situation is terrifying. People continue arriving with many conditions, some with injuries and malnutrition."
Ali, volunteer aid worker in Tawila
Save the Children reported that women fleeing el-Fasher were attacked by armed men on motorbikes and robbed of their belongings. The UN refugee agency warned of critical shortages in shelter and food for displaced civilians, while Red Crescent volunteers face deadly risks: five were killed earlier this week in another state, halting relief operations outside Tawila until safety assurances are met.
Trapped civilians face famine and violence
Inside el-Fasher, an estimated 260,000 people-including 130,000 children-remain trapped under famine-like conditions, with collapsed health services and no safe exit routes, according to Save the Children. RSF leader Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo acknowledged "violations" in the city and pledged investigations, while a senior UN official confirmed arrests of suspects linked to atrocities.
Calls for urgent intervention
Survivors and aid workers pleaded for international action to protect civilians still attempting the perilous journey to Tawila. "Those who arrived are begging us to go and save the people on the road, because many are dying trying to come here," Ali said. The UN and humanitarian groups have yet to secure safe passage for relief convoys or evacuations.
