Imagine fleeing for your life, only to be hunted down and brutalized at every turn— that's the nightmare survivors of Sudan's El-Fasher endured during its fall to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in late October. But here's where it gets controversial: were these attacks random acts of chaos, or a calculated strategy to instill terror? Stick around, because this story reveals the human cost of a conflict that's tearing Sudan apart, and it's the part most people miss—the voices of those who barely made it out alive.
Ahmad Abdullah, a 47-year-old donkey cart driver, credits his lack of wealth with sparing his life during his harrowing escape from the Sudanese city of El-Fasher. Detained, assaulted, and stripped of his belongings repeatedly as he trekked toward the Tawila displacement camp, about 60 kilometers distant, Abdullah's experience mirrors that of countless others who fled the RSF's takeover—a paramilitary group that had been laying siege to this North Darfur capital since April 2024.
Warning: This article includes descriptions of wartime violence that may be distressing for some readers.
Like so many escapees, Abdullah encountered armed bandits on foot while making his way to safety. "Right after leaving El-Fasher, I encountered two armed individuals. One inquired about what I was carrying. I replied that I had nothing. He instructed me to proceed," Abdullah recounted. "After covering a brief stretch, two men in a four-wheel-drive vehicle ambushed me, pummeled me, and confiscated my cash, my mobile phone, my identification document, and a note with my relatives' financial transfer details. They even snatched a knife I possessed, then commanded me to depart."
His journey grew even more perilous. "Continuing on, I crossed paths with individuals riding camels. They assaulted me as well and abandoned me there," he added. Abdullah's tribulations didn't end; he was even robbed of lemons he had scavenged from a farm. "Pushing forward, I was confronted by seven men wielding automatic rifles," he explained. "They battered me mercilessly, causing blood to flow from all over my body. They then threatened to kill me or demand a ransom."
Abdullah believes his humble status as a donkey cart operator in El-Fasher prompted a militiaman to show mercy and spare his execution. "They continued striking me, then instructed me to remove my clothing and lie face-down on the ground," he described. "They required me to recite the Shahada—the Islamic declaration of faith—before ending my life. Yet, one remarked, 'Release him. Allow him to go. He owns nothing.'"
Survivors Struggling in the Camp
Not everyone from El-Fasher survived the city's capture by the RSF, a key front in Sudan's protracted civil war pitting the RSF against the Sudanese Armed Forces. This conflict has been marred by extensive atrocities, including claims that the RSF has perpetrated genocide targeting ethnic African Sudanese communities. For a deeper dive into the war's background—who's fighting and why—check out this link (https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11-08/what-is-happening-in-sudan-who-is-fighting-and-why/105963190).
"I witnessed numerous deaths," Abdullah stated, noting that his siblings were among those killed. Others were abducted, with their kin pressured to pay exorbitant ransoms to prevent executions. Human rights observers estimate the RSF has slain tens of thousands (https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11-11/satellite-imagery-of-el-fasher-sudan-massacre-verify/105992360), with many still unaccounted for.
And this is the part most people miss: the sheer scale of human suffering, not just in numbers, but in personal tragedies that echo far beyond the battlefield.
Rumaytha Adam, a 20-year-old, was assaulted during her exodus from El-Fasher and witnessed signs of widespread slaughter in and around the city. "Along the route, we discovered corpses. We couldn't assist anyone because we were compelled to advance in a single direction. You had to focus forward and persist until reaching here," she shared. "Countless from my community perished. My brothers were killed too. The Rapid Support Forces slaughtered everyone with blades—not solely through airstrikes or gunfire. They lunged at people and murdered them."
Several survivors in Tawila reported losing loved ones. "Numerous families suffered losses. Some were murdered, others succumbed during the clashes—it was divine fate," explained Fatima Saleh, a survivor. "I lost my elder brother just before our departure. A piece of artillery shrapnel claimed his life."
The humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders has established a medical facility in Tawila to aid those escaping El-Fasher. Aline Serin, the group's Sudan mission chief, noted that many El-Fasher residents, especially males, have yet to arrive at the camps, suggesting they remain trapped or have been eliminated. "We observe women, kids, and seniors. Additionally, there's a significant influx of unaccompanied minors and households led by females," she remarked. "Our staff has seen arrivals in states of shock, famished, wounded; exhausted and debilitated by the journey and the brutality in El-Fasher. They describe mass murders, abductions for ransom, and numerous individuals still isolated in El-Fasher."
Many newcomers also suffer severe malnutrition, particularly acute among under-five children and expectant or nursing mothers. Over 70 percent of screened children under five and 60 percent of the 1,130 assessed adults exhibited acute malnutrition, per the organization.
'The Entire City Serves as a Site of Mass Slaughter'
The RSF's seizure of El-Fasher stands out as one of the most appalling chapters in a war rife with atrocities. Reports detail massacres within medical facilities, with aerial images revealing corpses and ground stains indicative of blood pools. Nathaniel Raymond, director of Yale University's Humanitarian Research Lab, oversees a team scrutinizing satellite data to gauge the carnage's extent. "The whole metropolis is essentially a venue for mass executions," he asserted. "Wherever we examine, we detect indicators aligning with the slaughter of sizable groups."
Raymond indicated that recent satellite footage (https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11-11/satellite-imagery-of-el-fasher-sudan-massacre-verify/105992360) implies the RSF is now gathering and disposing of remains. The RSF has conceded to some atrocities but claims the magnitude is overstated. In an October 30 video, RSF media spokesperson Yassin Ahmed Abdullah announced the detention and imprisonment of a primary culprit dubbed "Abu Lulu." "To ensure justice and legal processes unfold via established judicial channels. The apprehension occurred, by God's grace, in an environment of order and expertise, sans hindrances. And, by the Almighty's favor, the suspect is currently incarcerated," he declared.
In January, the United States determined that the RSF was engaged in genocide (https://2021-2025.state.gov/genocide-determination-in-sudan-and-imposing-accountability-measures/) and enforced penalties (https://2021-2025.state.gov/sudan-sanctions/) on RSF commanders and firms linked to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Sudan's administration accuses the UAE of aiding genocide (https://icj-web.leman.un-icc.cloud/sites/default/files/case-related/197/suaeapplicatione.pdf) by funneling funds and cutting-edge arms to the RSF. The UAE maintains military outposts, farming ventures, and stakes in Sudan's gold and mineral sectors.
A United Nations inquiry deemed credible (https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/gen/n24/005/64/pdf/n2400564.pdf) reports that the UAE utilized a field hospital adjacent to an airport in eastern Chad for smuggling arms to the RSF. Amnesty International also pinpointed (https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2025/05/sudan-advanced-chinese-weaponry-provided-by-uae-identified-in-breach-of-arms-embargo-new-investigation/) RSF deployment of Chinese-manufactured arms, purportedly acquired by the UAE. The UAE refutes arming the RSF, labeling genocide complicity claims as procedural misuse, with the International Court of Justice dismissing the lawsuit on technical grounds.
But here's where it gets controversial: If powerful nations like the UAE are indeed fueling this violence through indirect support, does that make them complicit in war crimes? And what about the RSF's claims of downplaying atrocities—could this be a smokescreen for worse? These are the thorny questions at the heart of Sudan's crisis, where geopolitics intertwine with human suffering.
As you reflect on these accounts, what do you think? Should international bodies do more to hold accountable those enabling such groups? Or is there another angle we're overlooking? Share your thoughts in the comments—does this change how you view proxy wars in global conflicts? I'm curious to hear your take!
