Dreadful Stories of Survival Unfolds in Darfur Following Rebel Seizure of Vital City
In the midst of a terrifying conflict, a mother named Hawa found herself in a refugee camp in Tawila, a town approximately 35 miles away from the city of El Fasher in the Darfur region of Sudan. She spoke of a daunting journey on foot for days under the scorching sun, witnessing horrific scenes of slaughter that shook her to the core.
Hawa is just one of the countless individuals who managed to escape El Fasher, a city that fell under the control of a Sudanese paramilitary group. This critical city, which is the capital of North Darfur state, was the last major stronghold in the broader western Darfur region, caught in a relentless siege for over a year and a half.
A City Under Siege
Since the takeover, chilling accounts of cruelty have surfaced from the city. Communication with the outside world has become nearly impossible, causing an information blackout. Hawa shared that many women and children were subjected to abuse and beaten if they fell asleep. Young girls were even taken away, treated as commodities.
The camp in Tawila, accommodating around half a million displaced people, has seen an influx of refugees from El Fasher. However, the number of arrivals since the paramilitary group's entry into El Fasher is only around 6,000, which suggests that many more are unaccounted for. Concerns have been raised that these missing individuals might be held captive by the paramilitary group.
The Scale of Brutality: Hard to Quantify
Despite continuous reports of violence, determining the extent of brutality is a challenging task. The camp in Tawila is currently overseen by a relief organization, under the control of an armed group known as the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army, who are currently not involved in the conflict.
The violence is described as unimaginably horrific. Every survivor who has arrived at the camp narrates tales of violence, death, kidnapping, and all forms of abuse, particularly against women.
Survivors of the violence in El Fasher who managed to escape share horrifying narratives of targeted violence, extortion, and assault during their treacherous journey to Tawila.
Testimonies of Pain and Suffering
An expectant mother, Ala, shared her story of repeated displacement and food shortages that forced her to flee. "We lived in fear of constant bombardment and hunger," she said. "We even ate leather to survive." Ala had lost five of her siblings in this war.
Mohammed, a 65-year-old man from El Fasher, described his escape from the city. He spoke of invasive searches conducted at numerous checkpoints, even on children. He recounted a horrifying incident where 17 people from his group were taken away and executed.
Videos from El Fasher reveal how the paramilitary group entered the city, built a barrier around it, and systematically targeted civilians trying to escape. The footage shows frightening details of burning homes, vehicles, and cold-blooded executions. The scale of violence is so massive that blood and piles of bodies are visible from space.
Humanitarian Crisis: Famine and Malnutrition
The effects of the conflict have resulted in catastrophic levels of malnutrition, particularly among children. A field hospital has seen an influx of women, children, and the elderly suffering from severe malnutrition. In a single day, all of the 70 children under 5 years old at the hospital were acutely malnourished.
In a span of four days, the hospital received 396 injured individuals and treated over 700 new arrivals from El Fasher. The patients were primarily suffering from gunshot wounds, fractures, and injuries from beatings and torture. Others had infected wounds or complications from previous surgical procedures performed under desperate conditions with virtually no access to medical supplies.
A Nation in Turmoil
The conflict in Sudan spiraled after the power-sharing transitional government was dissolved by a military coup. Both the paramilitary group and the Sudanese military have been engaged in a devastating civil war. Both sides have been accused of committing war crimes, including the systematic murder of civilians, sexual violence, and denial of essential supplies to people caught in the conflict.
There is a glimmer of hope in the form of a proposed peace plan led by the United States, involving a group of mediating countries. The paramilitary group has agreed to a humanitarian truce brokered by the mediating group. However, the violence shows no signs of stopping.
The crisis in Sudan is described as a forgotten and ignored disaster. "We need to remember and not ignore this crisis. We're not just talking about numbers. We're talking about millions of people. Every single number has a face, a family, and a life that we need to respect," a relief organization representative said.