Hundreds Of People Allegedly Executed Dead In The Struggle For Sudan's Al-Fashir City

JAKARTA - Hundreds of Sudanese civilians and unarmed fighters are likely killed in the seizure of the long-torn city of Al-Fashir by Sudanese paramilitary forces.

The city, the last stronghold of Sudanese troops in the western region of Darfur, fell to paramilitary Rapid Support Forces on Sunday, ending an 18-month siege.

"We estimate the death toll of civilians and those outside the fighting during the RSF attack on the city and the exit route, as well as in the days after the takeover, could reach hundreds," said UN human rights office spokesman Seif Magango at a news conference in Geneva on Friday, October 31, explaining testimony of brief executions and mass killings.

As reported by Reuters, the RSF dismissed allegations of previous violations and has made retaliatory charges against Sudanese soldiers.

Tens of thousands of people have fled the city amid the upheaval, and some testimonies about Al-Fashir's atrocities stemm from survivors who had to walk for three or four days into the city of Tawila.

Magango said his office received testimony from aid workers that at least 25 women were gang-raped as RSF fighters entered shelters for refugees near the university.

"The eyewitnesses confirmed that RSF personnel chose women and girls and raped them at gunpoint, forcing the remaining refugees around 100 families to leave the location in the middle of shootings and intimidation of the elderly," he said.