Thousands flee Sudan’s El-Fasher after city falls to RSF

Mapaballo Borotho

At least 60,000 people have fled Sudan’s city of El-Fasher after it was captured by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Reports say civilians faced mass killings, rape, and starvation during the 18-month siege.
The conflict, which began in 2023, has killed over 150,000 people and displaced 12 million nationwide.

At least 60,000 people have fled the Sudanese city of El-Fasher after it was captured by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the United Nations refugee agency has confirmed.

Reports indicate that RSF fighters stormed the city over the weekend, ending an 18-month siege marked by starvation, relentless bombardments, and mounting civilian casualties.

Witnesses and humanitarian groups have reported mass executions, sexual violence, and other crimes against humanity.

According to the BBC, the flow of people fleeing towards the nearby town of Tawila has sharply increased in recent days, with many victims recounting harrowing stories of rape and starvation.

It is estimated that more than 150,000 people remain trapped inside El-Fasher, which had served as the army’s last stronghold in the western Darfur region.

The RSF has denied widespread allegations that its attacks are ethnically motivated, rejecting claims that Arab fighters are targeting non-Arab populations.

Sudan was plunged into civil war in April 2023 following a violent power struggle between the national army and the RSF. The two factions were once allies, having seized power together in a 2021 coup, but later clashed over an internationally backed plan to transition to civilian rule.

The ongoing war has fueled famine and accusations of genocide in the Darfur region. More than 150,000 people have reportedly been killed and about 12 million displaced, making it what the United Nations describes as the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.