Source: Aljazeera

DST News: Shocking testimonies are emerging from survivors who fled the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) following their capture of el-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, revealing accounts of killings, abductions, and abuse, while thousands remain missing.

El-Fasher, the last army-controlled stronghold in the Darfur region, fell to the RSF on Sunday after enduring an 18-month siege. Since then, the United Nations and aid agencies have expressed grave concern over reports of mass executions, sexual violence, and other brutalities against civilians.

Many of those who escaped to the nearby town of Tawila, about 50 kilometers away, described horrifying scenes. Alkheir Ismail, a young Sudanese man, said he was among 300 civilians captured by RSF fighters while fleeing the city. He survived only because one fighter recognized him from university in Khartoum — while the others in his group were killed.

Another survivor, Tahani Hassan, recounted how RSF fighters appeared suddenly, firing shots in the air and ordering civilians to stop. “They beat us severely and searched even the women,” she said. “One of the attackers looked younger than my daughter.”

Fatima Abdulrahim, who escaped with her grandchildren, said they walked for five days to reach safety. “They took everything we had and beat the boys. Later we heard that girls in the next group were raped, but our girls managed to escape,” she said.

Others, like young survivor Rawaa Abdalla, are still searching for missing relatives. “My father disappeared during the chaos. We don’t know if he’s alive, dead, or injured,” she said.

As humanitarian agencies sound the alarm, the situation in Darfur continues to deteriorate, with el-Fasher becoming a symbol of the suffering and lawlessness engulfing Sudan’s prolonged civil war.