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Over 60,000 people have fled the Sudanese city of el-Fasher after it was taken over by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) over the weekend. The United Nations refugee agency reported that the exodus has intensified in recent days, with many heading toward Tawila, a town about 80km west of el-Fasher. The UNHCR's Eujin Byun said they were hearing horrific accounts of atrocities, including rape, and were struggling to provide shelter and food for those fleeing. The RSF has denied allegations of ethnic killings in el-Fasher, but has detained a militiaman accused of summary executions. The RSF's takeover of el-Fasher, the last army stronghold in Darfur, could deepen Sudan's division. The country is already split between RSF-controlled western regions and army-held areas, including Khartoum and parts of Kordofan. The UN Security Council held an emergency meeting on Sudan amid international concern over the violence. UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher slammed the council for not acting sooner, saying the horror is continuing with reports of rape and killings. A UN fact-finding mission indicated a deliberate pattern of ethnic targeting in el-Fasher's violence. Aid groups have warned that hundreds of thousands are in grave danger in and around el-Fasher. The International Rescue Committee said those arriving in Tawila reported arbitrary killings by RSF forces along escape routes. Disrupted communications have made it difficult to assess the situation inside el-Fasher, but witnesses say RSF fighters went door-to-door killing people. Satellite imagery analyzed by Yale School of Public Health's Humanitarian Research Lab supports claims of killings by the RSF near hospitals in el-Fasher. The RSF has denied these allegations, calling them fabrications for political gain. General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, head of the RSF, acknowledged abuses by his forces and said an investigation is ongoing.
