Mon Nov 03 16:49:45 UTC 2025: News Article:
Horror in El-Fasher: Testimonies Emerge of Mass Atrocities After Paramilitary Seizure
Tawila, Sudan – Harrowing accounts are surfacing from those who have fled el-Fasher, a major city in Sudan’s Darfur region, after it was seized by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on October 26. Survivors describe scenes of carnage, with bodies littering the streets and homes, families torn apart, and journeys to safety marked by days without food or water.
“The dead bodies were everywhere,” recounted Fatima Yahya, who recently arrived in Tawila, a town controlled by a neutral force, after a harrowing escape. She spoke of seeing corpses in the streets, houses and at the gates of many houses. Yahya, like many others, is traumatized and searching for missing family members.
The RSF’s capture of el-Fasher, previously held by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), solidifies their control over much of Darfur. Reports of mass executions, sexual violence, and widespread looting have since emerged. Satellite imagery analyzed by Yale University’s Humanitarian Research Lab has identified at least 31 locations with evidence suggestive of human remains.
Farhat Said, who fled with her daughter despite both suffering injuries, was forced to leave her severely injured husband behind. The journey to safety, a two-day trek on foot under heavy shelling, was grueling. “My son, who is 11 years old, asked me to run away from home to save our lives.” she stated, highlighting the desperation that forced families to make impossible choices.
Khadiga Abdalla, a 46-year-old widow, endured similar horrors. Having lost her husband to the conflict a year ago, she was forced to feed her family livestock feed due to the siege conditions. She reached Tawila after three days without food, her children deeply traumatized.
The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that at least 460 patients were killed in RSF attacks on the Saudi maternity hospital in el-Fasher. Medical teams in Tawila are reporting widespread malnutrition among children.
The International Organization for Migration estimates that over 70,000 people have been displaced from el-Fasher, but aid workers in Tawila report that the arrivals have been far smaller than El-Fasher’s population suggests, which Yale’s Humanitarian Research Lab concludes, “The majority of civilians are dead, captured or in hiding.”
The International Committee of the Red Cross has described the situation as “horrific,” warning that tens of thousands may be trapped without essential resources. Pope Francis has joined the growing international condemnation, denouncing the violence.
US Senators are calling for stronger action, including designating the RSF as a foreign terrorist organization. The RSF has announced arrests of some fighters involved in the violence, including a commander.
For survivors now in overcrowded displacement camps, questions of accountability remain distant. Activists at the Tawila camp report that aid workers are struggling to provide shelter and essential supplies due to the sudden influx of people.
First Piper 