New Horrifying Testimonies from Al-Fasher: 'Children Killed in Front of Their Parents'

Amid continuous international condemnation of the events in Al-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state in western Sudan, since the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) seized control last week, survivors who reached the nearby town of Tawila spoke of "mass killings, shooting of children in front of their parents, and beating and looting of civilians as they tried to flee." According to Agence France-Presse (AFP), many survivors also confirmed that those fleeing were separated based on gender, age, and assumed ethnic affiliation, and many are still being held for ransom.

Survivor Accounts and Ethnic Separation Atrocities

• Separation and Detention: Survivors confirmed that those fleeing were separated on the roads based on gender, age, and presumed ethnicity, with many still detained for ransom.

• Killed Before Their Eyes: Adam, a father who reached Tawila on Thursday, recounted that two of his sons (17 and 21) were killed right in front of him after being accused of fighting with the army.

• Abduction of Young Men: Hayat, a mother of five, said the young men traveling with them were "stopped by gunmen on the road, and we don't know what happened to them."

• Detention for Ransom: Zahra, a mother of six, reported that gunmen stopped her family and took her two sons (20 and 16), only releasing the younger one after pleas. The older son remains detained.

• Bodies on the Road: Hussein, a young man injured by shrapnel in Al-Fasher, confirmed seeing many bodies and wounded people left alone while fleeing, following the death of his father in the city.

The Alarming Scale of the Disaster

• Number of Fleeing People: The UN announced that over 65,000 people have fled Al-Fasher since last Sunday, but tens of thousands remain trapped. The city housed about 260,000 people before the recent RSF assault.

• Obstruction to Safety: Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) stated that "large numbers of civilians remain at extreme risk and are being prevented from reaching safer areas by the RSF and its allies."

• "Where are the Missing?": Michel-Olivier Lacharité, MSF Head of Emergency Programs, noted that the number of arrivals in Tawila (around 5,000) does not match the scale of the disaster, suggesting the terrifying likelihood that the missing are "being killed or hunted down as they attempt to flee."

• Indicators of Ongoing Killings: The Humanitarian Research Lab at Yale University cited satellite imagery showing indicators of ongoing mass killings within and around Al-Fasher. Researchers identified at least 31 clusters of objects likely to be human bodies in residential neighborhoods, a university campus, and military sites. Eyewitnesses also confirmed to MSF that most of the approximately 500 civilians who tried to flee last Sunday were killed or captured.

RSF Stance

• "Limited" Admission: In contrast, the RSF acknowledged that "limited" violations had occurred, with its commander, Hemedti, confirming days ago that committees had been formed to investigate these violations and hold those involved accountable.