Survivors of El-Fasher Siege Describe Brutal Violence in Sudan

Fri Oct 31 2025 06:14:35 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Eyewitness accounts from fleeing residents reveal the horrifying realities faced during the recent assaults in El-Fasher by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Survivors of the recent siege in El-Fasher, Sudan, recounted harrowing tales of violence and atrocities inflicted by the Rapid Support Forces as thousands seek refuge in nearby Tawila. Testimonies highlight the brutality, including witnessed murders and beatings. As they arrive in Tawila, many escapees describe conditions of severe malnourishment and trauma, prompting urgent calls for humanitarian aid. The situation remains critical, with fears that many more individuals may still be trapped in the violence.

Shaken, scratched and left with just the clothes he is wearing, Ezzeldin Hassan Musa describes the brutality of Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the wake of the paramilitary group taking control of el-Fasher city in the Darfur region.

He says its fighters tortured and murdered men trying to flee.

Now in the town of Tawila, lying exhausted on a mat under a gazebo, Ezzeldin is one of several thousand people who have made it to relative safety after escaping what the UN has described as horrific violence.

On Wednesday, RSF leader Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo admitted to violations in el-Fasher and said they would be investigated. A day later a senior UN official said the RSF had given notice that they had arrested some suspects.

About an 80km (50-mile) journey from el-Fasher, Tawila is one of several places where those lucky enough to escape the RSF fighters are fleeing to.

We left el-Fasher four days ago. The suffering we encountered on the way was unimaginable, Ezzeldin says.

We were divided into groups and beaten. The scenes were extremely brutal. We saw people murdered in front of us. We saw people being beaten. It was really terrible.

I myself was hit on the head, back, and legs. They beat me with sticks. They wanted to execute us completely. But when the opportunity arose, we ran, while others in front were detained.

Ezzeldin says he joined a group of escapees who took shelter in a building, moving by night and sometimes literally crawling along the ground in an effort to remain hidden.

Our belongings were stolen, he says. Phones, clothes - everything. Literally, even my shoes were stolen. Nothing was left.

We went without food for three days while walking in the streets. By God's mercy, we made it through.

Those in Tawila told the BBC that men making the journey were particularly likely to be subjected to scrutiny by the RSF, with fighters targeting anyone suspected of being a soldier.

Ezzeldin is one of around 5,000 people thought to have arrived in Tawila since the fall of el-Fasher on Sunday. Many have made the entire journey on foot, travelling for three or four days to flee the violence.

A freelance journalist based in Tawila, working for the BBC, has conducted among the first interviews with some of those who made the journey.

Steven Nomar, another survivor, narrated his escape: The RSF held us up. They just started killing my friends in front of my eyes. I was shot at but luckily escaped with only injuries.

Further tests dispatched in the region are confirming the RSF engagement in extrajudicial killings, with some analysts urging immediate humanitarian intervention for affected communities.