In the wake of a brutal paramilitary assault on el-Fasher, Sudan’s Darfur region, aid workers have expressed grave concerns over the fate of thousands who fled the violence. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a group embroiled in conflict with Sudan’s military since 2023, reportedly killed hundreds during the attack and subsequent escape attempts. Witnesses described RSF fighters conducting house-to-house raids, targeting civilians, including women and children. The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed the deaths of 460 people at a hospital in el-Fasher, though the exact toll remains unverified due to disrupted communications. Satellite imagery has revealed bodies strewn across the city, corroborating reports of mass executions. Only a small number of displaced individuals have reached Tawila, a town 60 kilometers west of el-Fasher, raising fears for the safety of those still trapped. The International Rescue Committee (IRC) warned that hundreds of thousands remain in grave danger, with survivors recounting arbitrary killings during their escape. RSF commander Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo acknowledged “abuses” by his forces and announced an investigation, but the situation remains dire. The ongoing conflict, which has claimed over 40,000 lives and displaced 14 million, threatens to further destabilize Sudan, Africa’s third-largest nation, raising fears of a potential split akin to South Sudan’s independence in 2011.
Aid workers fear for those missing from a city in Sudan’s Darfur region seized by paramilitary force
