By Spy Uganda
Tens of thousands of Sudanese civilians have fled to overcrowded camps in western Darfur to escape what aid groups describe as horrific atrocities committed by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since their capture of el-Fasher late last month. The United Nations human rights chief has warned that many others remain trapped in the besieged city.
Those who manage to reach Tawila, about 70 kilometers from el-Fasher, find little relief. Videos shared by the group Sudan’s IDPs and Refugee Camps show families sheltering under tattered tarps and patched sheets, children running barefoot through barren terrain, and volunteers carrying small pots of food to feed growing crowds of the displaced.
According to Adam Rojal, spokesperson for the group, more than 16,200 people have arrived in Tawila since the RSF’s takeover on October 26. The International Organization for Migration estimates that around 82,000 people have fled el-Fasher and nearby areas as of November 4, many on foot, seeking safety in already overcrowded camps.
The RSF and the Sudanese army have been locked in a brutal power struggle since April 2023 after months of tension over control of Africa’s third-largest country. The conflict has killed at least 40,000 people, according to the World Health Organization, though aid workers believe the true toll is far higher. Nearly 12 million people have been displaced, and almost half of Sudan’s population is facing acute food insecurity.
Last week, the RSF seized el-Fasher following an 18-month siege. Witnesses and health agencies report that fighters stormed the Saudi Hospital, killing more than 450 people, and went house to house executing civilians and committing sexual assaults. While the RSF denies the allegations, videos, survivor testimonies, and satellite images depict a city ravaged by extreme violence.
On Friday, Doctors Without Borders reported that about 300 new arrivals reached Tawila on Thursday alone, many suffering from severe malnutrition. “We are seeing extremely high levels of hunger among both children and adults,” the organization said.
Aid agencies warn that conditions in Tawila are dire. Food, medicine, and shelter materials are running out, and psychological trauma is widespread. “Families often survive on just two meals a day, sometimes only one,” Rojal said.
Meanwhile, UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk sounded the alarm for civilians still trapped in el-Fasher. “Today, traumatized civilians are still inside the city and being prevented from leaving,” he said Friday in Geneva. “I fear that abominable atrocities such as summary executions, rape, and ethnically motivated violence are continuing. And for those who manage to flee, the violence does not end, as the exit routes themselves have become scenes of unimaginable cruelty.”
Despite the escalating violence, both warring sides have signaled partial acceptance of a ceasefire proposal by the US-led Quad group, which includes the United States, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
The RSF said Thursday it had agreed to the humanitarian truce, while the Sudanese army said it welcomed the initiative but would only comply if the RSF withdrew from civilian areas and surrendered its weapons.
Fighting has since intensified across Darfur and spread into Kordofan, which has emerged as a new front in Sudan’s war. Earlier this week, a drone attack in el-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan, killed at least 40 people and wounded dozens more.
A military official told the Associated Press that the army intercepted two Chinese-made drones targeting el-Obeid on Saturday morning. The source spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss military operations.
Conflict analyst Jalale Getachew Birru of the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project said the fall of el-Fasher and the surge in attacks in North Kordofan represent a major strategic victory for the RSF but at a devastating human cost.
“These events not only deepen Sudan’s humanitarian crisis but also highlight the RSF’s growing capacity to expand toward central Sudan,” Birru said. “If left unchecked, this could reverse recent army gains and bring the violence back to regions that had remained relatively calm.”
