Sudan's Military Retreats from Key City in Darfur as Human Rights Groups Warn of Mass Killings

The Sudanese military has retreated from the besieged city of El Fasher in Darfur, where fleeing civilians were reportedly coming under attack from Rapid Support Forces (R.S.F.) paramilitary forces. The city, a major stronghold of the Sudanese military, had been under siege for 18 months, and its fall has amplified fears of ethnically motivated killings by the R.S.F. paramilitaries. The R.S.F., who have been accused of war crimes and human rights violations, have now taken control of the city, which has been described as one of the worst battlegrounds of the brutal civil war between the Sudanese military and the R.S.F.

Key Takeaways:

• The Sudanese military has retreated from the city of El Fasher in Darfur after an 18-month siege, leaving the R.S.F. paramilitary forces in control.
• Human rights groups have warned of mass killings by the R.S.F. as civilians try to flee the city, citing evidence from satellite images and eyewitness accounts.
• The R.S.F. have been accused of building a long earthen berm around El Fasher to encircle the city and prevent any escape attempts, with some reports suggesting that civilians are being executed for trying to flee.
• At least 26,000 people fled the city on October 26 and 27, with many fearing ethnic violence due to the R.S.F.'s targeting of certain groups.
• The R.S.F. have been supplied with drones, artillery, and other weapons by the United Arab Emirates, while Turkey, Russia, and Iran have also provided or sold arms to the Sudanese military.
• The United Nations has received reports of atrocities and executions by the R.S.F. in El Fasher, and the African Union has condemned the escalating violence in the region.
• The U.S. has accused the R.S.F. leadership of genocide and has called for the designation of the R.S.F. as a foreign terrorist organization.

Statistics:

• At least 26,000 people fled El Fasher on October 26 and 27.
• The R.S.F. have killed up to 15,000 civilians in El Geneina, another city in Darfur, according to the United Nations.
• The conflict in Sudan has resulted in the deaths of as many as 400,000 people, with millions forced to flee their homes.
• The R.S.F. have been accused of building a long earthen berm around El Fasher, which is over 5 miles long and completely encircles the city.

Sources:

• "Sudanese Military Withdraws from Key City in Darfur as Human Rights Groups Warn of Mass Killings" by Declan Walsh and Lynsey Chutel
• The New York Times
• Humanitarian Research Lab at the Yale School of Public Health
• Human Rights Watch
• United Nations Human Rights Office
• African Union
• United Arab Emirates
• Turkey
• Russia
• Iran
• President Trump's envoy to Africa, Massad Boulos
• Senator Jim Risch, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee
• Sanjana Varghese, contributing reporter from London
• Hannah Yi, contributing reporter from Seoul