Survivors fleeing Sudan’s el-Fasher recount terror, bodies in streets

Key Concepts:

• Rapid Support Forces (RSF)
• Al Faser (city in Sudan)
• Al Deba (camp in Sudan)
• Drone strike
• Siege
• Summary executions
• Mass killings
• Abductions
• Sexual violence

Summary of Events in Al Faser and Displacement to Al Deba

This report details the harrowing experiences of civilians fleeing Al Faser in Sudan's northern state after its takeover by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The fall of Al Faser marked the army's last stronghold in the western Darfur region.

Yahi Abdullah's Account of Escape

Yahi Abdullah and his four children took days to reach the Al Deba camp. They escaped Al Faser after the RSF took control of the city. Yahi's wife was killed in an RSF drone strike days prior to their escape. He describes the streets as being full of dead bodies and recounts an incident where RSF fighters were shooting at men, women, and children with machine guns near sand barriers. He overheard an RSF member saying, "Kill them all. Leave no one alive." Yahi and his children managed to escape at night by crossing the barrier and were later given a ride to the camp.

Russia's Testimony of Sexual Assault and Separation

Russia shared her traumatic experience of fleeing Al Faser. She initially left her daughters at home when fighting began and went to find her sons to escape together. However, she encountered RSF fighters on the street who questioned her and subsequently sexually assaulted her. Despite her pleas, stating she was old enough to be their mother, she was eventually released. She managed to retrieve her daughters but had to flee without her sons, whose whereabouts are now unknown. She describes fleeing past dead bodies until reaching a village outside Alasia.

United Nations and Government Figures on Displacement and Casualties

• The United Nations reports that over 60,000 people have fled Al Faser since it fell under RSF control.
• The United Nations Human Rights Office has received reports of summary executions, mass killings, abductions, and sexual violence in Al Faser following the RSF takeover.
• Approximately a quarter of a million civilians were trapped in the city, unable to escape to safety.
• The government states that at least 2,000 people have been killed, but those fleeing believe the actual number is significantly higher.

Psychological Impact and Hope for the Future

For those who have reached the Al Deba camp, the memories of the horrors they endured continue to haunt them. Despite these traumatic experiences, they hold onto the hope of leaving the past behind and starting new lives in the camp.

Call to Action

The report concludes with a call to subscribe to Al Jazeera for reliable news and expert insights.