More than 60,000 flee El Fasher after capture by RSF militia, UN says

More than 60,000 people have fled the Sudanese town of el-Fasher, which was overrun by the paramilitary Rapid Support Force (RSF) at the weekend, according to the UN refugee agency.

There were reports of mass executions and crimes against humanity when RSF fighters stormed the city after an 18-month siege marked by starvation and heavy bombardment.

The flow of people fleeing the violence to the town of Tawila, about 80 km (50 miles) west of El Fasher, has increased in the past few days, UNHCR’s Eugene Byun told the BBC.

They told horrific stories of atrocities, including rape, and the agency struggled to find enough shelter and food for them, she said.

Every child suffers from malnutrition, she added.

More than 150,000 people are believed to be still trapped in El Fasher, which was the army’s last stronghold in Darfur’s western region.

RSF denied widespread claims that the killings in el-Fasher were ethnically motivated and followed a pattern of Arab paramilitaries targeting non-Arab populations.

But the RSF detained one of its militiamen, Abu Lulu, who is accused of summary executions.

The group shared footage showing the militant’s arrest after BBC Verify identified him as responsible for the execution of scores of unarmed men near el-Fasher.

TikTok confirmed to the BBC that it had banned the account linked to Lulu. It is unclear whether he controlled the account in his own name.

Sudan was plunged into civil war in April 2023 after a violent power struggle erupted between its army and the RSF.

This led to famine and claims of genocide in the West Darfur region.

More than 150,000 people have died in the conflict across the country and around 12 million have been displaced in what the United Nations has called the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.

The capture of el-Fasher reinforces the country’s geographical divide, with the RSF now in control of western Sudan and much of neighboring Kordofan in the south, and the army holding the capital, Khartoum, and the central and eastern Red Sea regions.

The two warring rivals were allies – they came to power together in a coup in 2021 – but fell apart over an internationally backed plan to transition to civilian rule.

Additional reporting by Merlin Thomas