đź”— Share this article Over 60,000 Flee Sudanese City After Seizure by RSF Militia, United Nations Reports Numerous seek to get to the town of Tawila but face intimidation, extortion and mistreatment from armed men along the way Per the UNHCR, in excess of 60,000 individuals have fled the Sudanese city of el-Fasher, which was captured by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces during the weekend. Reports indicate summary killings and atrocities as paramilitary forces took control of the city after an 18-month blockade featuring starvation and sustained attacks. The flow of those fleeing the conflict towards the town of Tawila, approximately 80km (50 miles) to the west of el-Fasher, had increased in the last several days, according to United Nations refugee agency spokesperson. Survivors were telling horrendous tales of violence, including sexual violence, and the agency was having trouble to find sufficient shelter and food for them. Each child was affected by nutritional deficiencies, she commented. Estimates suggest that more than 150,000 residents are currently stranded in el-Fasher, which had been the army's last fortress in the western part of Darfur. The RSF has denied broad accusations that the executions in el-Fasher are based on ethnic factors and mirror a practice of the Arab fighters attacking non-Arab communities. Nevertheless the RSF has detained one of its members, Abu Lulu, who has been implicated in on-the-spot executions. The group released footage revealing the fighter's detention after verification that he was involved in the killing of multiple civilians in the vicinity of el-Fasher. Social media platform has acknowledged that it has banned the channel associated with Lulu. Uncertainty exists whether he had operated the profile in his identity. Sudan was plunged into a internal conflict in April 2023 after a intense power struggle began between its military and the RSF. The conflict has led to a famine and allegations of ethnic cleansing in the western Sudan. More than 150,000 people have died in the conflict around the country, and approximately 12 million have fled their dwellings in what the UN has termed the biggest global humanitarian crisis. The seizure of el-Fasher strengthens the geographic split in the country, with the Rapid Support Forces now in dominance of the western region and much of adjacent Kordofan to the southern area, and the army controlling the main city, Khartoum, central and eastern regions along the Red Sea. The opposing sides had been partners - coming to power together in a coup in 2021 - but fell out over an globally supported plan to transition to democratic governance.