Surviving the Chaos: Eyewitness Accounts from Sudan's Escaped War Zone

Mon Dec 01 2025 23:30:38 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

As violence escalates in Sudan, firsthand accounts reveal the traumatic experiences of civilians fleeing the chaos in el-Fasher, shedding light on the atrocities committed by paramilitary forces.

In the recent turmoil in Sudan, civilians such as Abdulqadir Abdullah Ali recount their harrowing escapes from the city of el-Fasher as it was overtaken by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Witnesses describe fleeing under fire, witnessing unspeakable violence, and enduring immense suffering along the way. The reports highlight various atrocities committed against civilians, raising alarm about the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the region.

Abdulqadir Abdullah Ali suffered serious nerve damage to his leg during the long siege of the Sudanese city of el-Fasher because he could not get medicine for his diabetes. The 62-year-old walks with a heavy limp, but he was so panicked when fighters from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) finally captured the city in the western Darfur region, he felt no pain as he ran.

The morning the RSF came there were bullets, many bullets, and explosives going off, he says. People were out of control [with fear], they ran out of their houses, and everyone ran in different directions, the father, the son, the daughter - running.

The fall of el-Fasher after an 18-month siege is a particularly brutal chapter in Sudan's civil war. The BBC has travelled to a tent camp hundreds of miles away in the deserts of northern Sudan in army-controlled territory to hear first-hand the stories of those who escaped. The RSF has been fighting the regular army since April 2023 when a power struggle between them erupted into war.

Taking over el-Fasher was a major victory for the paramilitary group, pushing the army out of its last foothold in Darfur. But evidence of mass atrocities has drawn international condemnation and focused greater American attention on trying to end the conflict.

We found Mr. Ali wandering around the camp, located in the desert about 770km (480 miles) north-east of el-Fasher, near the town of al-Dabbah. He was trying to register his family for a tent. Talking about fleeing el-Fasher, he recounted, They [RSF fighters] were shooting at the people - the elderly, the civilians, with live ammunition, they would empty their guns on them. Some of the RSF came with their cars. If they saw someone was still breathing, they drove over them.

Others also narrated their harrowing journeys to escape the RSF, with many expressing concern for family members left behind or still in danger. The fear of being targeted by the RSF, separating families, and witnessing horrifying acts overshadow incoming humanitarian aid efforts. As tensions continue, the international community watches closely but help feels distant for those who endured the chaos.