Khartoum, Sudan –
Sudan’s military leader, General Abdel-Fattah Burhan, visited a displacement camp on Saturday, meeting civilians who fled the city of El-Fasher after it was overtaken by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) following an 18-month siege.
Burhan was surrounded by military personnel as he addressed families who escaped what aid workers describe as escalating atrocities in western Darfur. According to humanitarian groups, tens of thousands have fled to overcrowded camps as the RSF’s advance intensifies.
The UN human rights chief warned that many civilians remain trapped in El-Fasher, where reports of mass killings and widespread abuses continue to emerge.
The RSF and Sudanese Armed Forces have been locked in a brutal conflict since April 2023, sparked by a power struggle over control of the country. The World Health Organization estimates that at least 40,000 people have been killed, though the real figure may be significantly higher. Nearly 12 million people have been displaced, and close to half the population faces acute food insecurity.
Following the fall of El-Fasher last week, the RSF reportedly stormed the city’s Saudi Hospital, killing more than 450 people and targeting civilians in house-to-house attacks. Survivors have shared testimonies of killings and sexual violence. The RSF denies the allegations, but witness accounts, videos posted online, and satellite images point to widespread atrocities.
As the humanitarian crisis worsens, aid organizations warn that the conflict is pushing Sudan toward a catastrophic collapse.
Source: Adapted from Africanews
