Abdulqadir Abdullah Ali suffered serious nerve damage to his leg during the long siege of el-Fasher, unable to access medication for his diabetes. As fighters from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) stormed the city, he felt no pain and ran for his life.
The morning the RSF came, there were bullets and explosions everywhere, he recalls, as chaos ensued and people fled in every direction.
After an 18-month siege, the fall of el-Fasher marked a grim milestone in Sudan's ongoing civil war, where the RSF has been engaged in fierce combat against the regular army since April 2023. The RSF's capture of the city exacerbated the humanitarian crisis, with reports of mass atrocities drawing international condemnation.
Having reached a camp hundreds of miles away, survivors like Ali recount the horrors witnessed, including RSF fighters shooting indiscriminately at civilians. Ali testified that some fighters ran over people with vehicles if they saw them moving.
Many fled with little more than the clothes on their backs, facing brutal checkpoints where they were stripped of their belongings. Accounts of gender-based violence fuel the despair, adding another layer of trauma to the exodus.
As the situation evolves, many remain uncertain of their future while grappling with the memories of violence and the grief of those lost along the way. Despite the darkness, their resilience shines through as they strive for safety and rebuilding their lives.
