Escape from El-Fasher: Survivors Share Harrowing Tales of RSF Brutality

El-Fasher, Sudan - The city of El-Fasher in Sudan's Darfur region has fallen under the control of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Survivors who escaped have shared harrowing accounts of the violence they endured.

A Journey Fraught with Danger

Ezzeldin Hassan Musa, one of the survivors, described the brutal treatment inflicted by the RSF. Men attempting to flee were tortured and murdered. Now in Tawila, approximately 80 kilometers away, Ezzeldin is among thousands who have found relative safety after fleeing the "horrific" violence, as described by the UN.

The journey to safety was perilous. Ezzeldin and others were divided into groups and beaten. They witnessed murders and beatings. Ezzeldin himself was struck on the head, back, and legs with sticks. They were left with nothing, as their belongings were stolen. They went without food for three days while walking in the streets. By God's mercy, they survived.

Targeting Men Suspected of Being Soldiers

Men making the journey were particularly likely to be scrutinized by the RSF, with fighters targeting anyone suspected of being a soldier. Ezzeldin is one of around 5,000 people thought to have arrived in Tawila since the fall of El-Fasher. Many made the entire journey on foot, traveling for three or four days to escape the violence.

Artillery Strikes and Executions

Ahmed Ismail Ibrahim, another survivor, described how his eye was injured in an artillery strike. He left the city on Sunday after receiving treatment in hospital. He and six other men were stopped by RSF fighters. Four of them were killed in front of them. Ahmed was shot three times. The fighters demanded to see the phones of the three who were left alive and went through them, searching their messages. One fighter finally told them to get up and go. They fled into the scrub.

Fleeing After a Soldier's Death

Yusra Ibrahim Mohamed described making the decision to flee the city after her husband, a soldier with the Sudanese army, was killed. She and her husband stayed patient as the clashes and attacks continued. They managed to escape three days ago, moving in different directions from the artillery areas. The people guiding them didn't know what was happening. If someone resisted, they were beaten or robbed. They would take everything you had. People could even be executed. Yusra saw dead bodies in the streets.

Emergency Care for the Wounded

Alfadil Dukhan, who works in the MSF clinic, and his colleagues have been providing emergency care to those who arrive. Among them are 500 in need of urgent medical treatment. Most of the new arrivals are elders and women or children. The wounded are suffering, and some of them already have amputations. They are really suffering a lot. Alfadil and his colleagues are trying to give them some support and some medical care.

A City Under Siege

Those arriving this week in Tawila join hundreds of thousands there who fled previous rounds of violence in El-Fasher. Before its seizure by the RSF, the city had been besieged for 18 months. Those trapped inside were bombarded by a barrage of deadly artillery and air strikes as the army and the paramilitaries battled for El-Fasher. And they were plunged into a severe hunger crisis by an RSF blockade of supplies and aid.

Concerns Over Low Numbers of Arrivals

Some experts have expressed concern at the relatively low numbers arriving at places like Tawila now. Caroline Bouvoir, who works with refugees in neighboring Chad for the aid agency Solidarités International, said, "In the past few days we have about 5,000 people who have arrived, which considering we believe there were about a quarter of a million people still in the city, that is obviously not that many." She added that many people are stuck currently in different locations between Tawila and El-Fasher, and unable to move forward - either because of their physical condition or because of the insecurity on the road, where militias are unfortunately attacking people who are trying to find safe haven.

A Plea for Humanitarian Aid

For Ezzeldin, the relief of having reached safety is tempered by the fears for those still behind him on the journey. He pleads, "Public roads should be secured for citizens, or humanitarian aid sent to the streets. People are in a critical state - they can't move, speak, or seek help. Aid should reach them, because many are missing and suffering."