177,000 Civilians Stranded as RSF Commits Massacres in El-Fasher
(MENAFN) Up to 177,000 civilians remain trapped in El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, following its capture by the Rapid Security Forces (RSF) over the weekend, amid reports of mass killings and ethnic cleansing.
“The RSF committed a horrifying massacre against unarmed civilians on an ethnic basis in a crime of racial cleansing. Reports from our field teams indicate that the number of victims is estimated in the thousands, amid severe communication difficulties and total insecurity,” the Sudan Doctors’ Union said in a statement late Wednesday.
The association detailed a series of brutal violations by the RSF, including “summary executions, house-to-house raids, sexual violence, and forcing victims to dig their graves and bury themselves alive.” The statement estimated that nearly 2,000 civilians were killed within hours of the rebel group's entry into the city.
El-Fasher fell to the RSF on Sunday after intense clashes with the Sudanese army. The city had been under siege by the paramilitary force since May 2024.
“Innocent people were executed by being burned alive, while 177,000 civilians remain trapped, with most believed to have been subjected to mass killings,” the union said.
In just 48 hours, nearly 28,000 Sudanese were displaced, with 1,000 reaching the town of Tawila in North Darfur. According to the International Organization for Migration, more than 36,000 people fled El-Fasher between Oct. 26 and 29.
RSF attacks have reportedly targeted escape routes to block civilians from reaching safety, with reports that “those attempting to flee by car were burned alive inside their vehicles.”
The Sudan Doctors’ Union confirmed earlier accounts from local groups that the RSF deliberately targeted healthcare facilities and medical personnel. “The massacre at the Saudi Hospital in El-Fasher witnessed the field execution of over 450 patients and wounded individuals who were inside the hospital, along with around 1,200 elderly people, wounded, and patients in field medical facilities,” the statement said.
Since the outbreak of war in April 2023, the World Health Organization has verified 185 RSF attacks that killed over 1,200 health workers and patients and injured 416.
The union denounced the “horrific massacre and the total humanitarian collapse” in El-Fasher, asserting that “these acts constitute genocide, systematic ethnic cleansing, and fully-fledged war crimes, adding to the militia’s long record of atrocities in Darfur.” It called on the international community and humanitarian organizations to act to protect Sudanese civilians.
The Sudanese army and the RSF have been locked in a civil war since April 2023, a conflict that has claimed thousands of lives and displaced more than 15 million people.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
