Survivors from El-Fasher: We Saw Bodies Hanging from Trees

Survivors recounted horrifying violations they experienced or witnessed following the fall of El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur in Sudan, to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia last October.

Ahmed Gebreil, who fled with seven of his close family members and still does not know their fate, said: “We left that night barefoot, wearing only our home clothes. On the way, we were met with heavy gunfire from RSF fighters… many were killed or injured.”

He added that he saw dozens of people dying from hunger and thirst, while others succumbed to severe injuries during their escape to the Tuwaila displaced persons (IDPs) camp, approximately 60 kilometers from El-Fasher.

Survivors, speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat via phone calls, reported that the RSF militia continues to forcibly detain hundreds of families in detention centers and shelters, many of whom have died from starvation or gunfire.

One survivor stated: “We saw the bodies of men and women hanging from trees; no one could approach them.”

Lawyer Adam Idris, who left El-Fasher a few days after its fall, said: “The RSF militia forced us to go to mosques and filmed us there, later publishing videos claiming that the situation was normal, while in reality they were detaining unarmed civilians and demanding huge sums of money for their release.”

Meanwhile, A. M., a mother of two, recounted: “They lined up the women, pointed their weapons at us, and began searching our clothes for money and gold… We were subjected to sexual violence and degrading, inhumane treatment by RSF members. They insulted us with racist slurs.”