Sudanese Refugees Share Their Flight From Darfur
The takeover of El Fasher in late October represented a grim turning point in the nearly three-year-long conflict in Sudan. The Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary organization engaged in a devastating civil war against the Sudanese army, seized control of El Fasher, which serves as the capital of North Darfur State in western Sudan, giving the R.S.F. near-total dominance in the area. As they rampaged through the city, the R.S.F. began a grim killing spree. Humanitarian organizations reported extensive instances of rape and sexual violence. A haunting video, confirmed by The New York Times, shows a fighter executing a victim of the violence while pleading for mercy. The United Nations’ migration agency estimates that 100,000 individuals have escaped El Fasher since its downfall, leaving over 150,000 still unaccounted for. The actual consequences of the massacre remain unknown, as the city is inaccessible to outsiders, although some aid has started to arrive in other parts of Darfur. One of the rare methods to report on the siege involves traveling to refugee camps in eastern Chad, currently housing roughly 900,000 displaced Sudanese from Darfur and various regions of the nation. Just a few days before El Fasher succumbed to the R.S.F., Manahil Ishaq, 35, had sent her 14-year-old son, Rami, on an errand to find food. It wasn’t long before he was severely injured in an explosion, according to his mother. Neighbors carried him back home to the family residence. “He couldn’t speak or say anything,” Ms. Ishaq remembered. “His belly was out, and his bones were broken.” As fighting intensified, Ms. Ishaq, who was three months pregnant at that time, began her preparations to flee. Rami was still alive, she mentioned, but she realized his wounds were fatal. “I told him that I wished him forgiveness and well-being, in this life and the hereafter,” she recalled telling him. Through tears, Ms. Ishaq described her escape from El Fasher and her grueling month-long trek to the Oure Cassoni refugee camp in eastern Chad. While sitting outside the dilapidated hospital in the camp, she revealed that her brother was killed during the family’s flight. Ms. Ishaq recounted being shot in the back by a sniper. Thankfully, her unborn child survived, and she arrived at the camp with her other children. Adapting to the harsh conditions of the camp has not provided her with much comfort. Oure Cassoni is one of the most isolated camps in Chad, established by the Chadian government in 2004, when thousands fled Darfur to escape the mass atrocities carried out by the Janjaweed, the militia that became the precursor to the Rapid Support Forces. The camp’s population has increased significantly over the last year, but assistance from Chad and international relief efforts have not kept pace with its burgeoning needs. Mustafa mentioned that he and four of his friends, all in their late teens and twenties, recognized they needed to exit El Fasher. He recalled witnessing the execution of four members of a neighbor’s family by R.S.F. fighters as they overtook the city. He requested that only his first name be used to protect his safety. Mustafa and his friends orchestrated a plan to escape under the cover of night. However, they did not get far before R.S.F. troops apprehended them near the village of Qarni, he recounted. He and his friends were lined up and interrogated. Two of his friends asked for food and water, but their captors instead shot and killed them, Mustafa said. “We were terrified,” he expressed. “They told us, ‘Calm down, we are not going to kill you.’” He and his companions were tied to a tree, left there for two days until nearby villagers liberated them and urged them to flee. Three of them survived and eventually reached the camp; Mustafa remained in Oure Cassoni, while his two friends traveled on to Libya. Hussam Altaher winced as doctors at the small medical facility in Oure Cassoni treated his leg wound. While sitting at home with his father and cousins in El Fasher in late August, Mr. Altaher suddenly heard a drone above. “I recognized it because we had heard the sound repeatedly. Moments later, the bomb struck our house,” he explained. His father and cousins were killed instantly, and Mr. Altaher suffered severe injuries. He spent the subsequent two months in Al Saudi maternity hospital, the only functioning hospital in El Fasher. Doctors faced challenges providing adequate care due to a shortage of essential medicines. Mr. Altaher was unable to walk by the time El Fasher fell to the paramilitary group. His mother, who had been with him at the hospital, secured a donkey cart to aid their escape on Oct. 26. Just two days later, more than 400 patients were reportedly killed at Al Saudi by R.S.F. troops, according to the World Health Organization. As they fled, Mr. Altaher and his mother were captured by R.S.F. fighters. “They demanded 20 million Sudanese pounds for us to be allowed to leave,” he said. Relatives outside of Sudan paid the exorbitant ransom, approximately $5,600. Before reaching permanent shelters like Oure Cassoni, many Sudanese refugees typically pass through Tine, a small border town located about 100 miles to the south in Chad. In late November, several hundred refugees convened in Tine. Among them were two young men: Ali Ishag, in a wheelchair, and his friend, Yahia Rizig. Mr. Ishag had lost a leg due to an airstrike on his family home in El Fasher last year, he stated. The same attack claimed the lives of his entire family. When it became evident that the city would fall, Mr. Ishag and Mr. Rizig sought an escape route. They chose to depart at night, just days before the city’s capture. “We’re like bats; we must move only after dark. If they catch you in the morning, they will kill you,” Mr. Rizig recounted during their escape. Mr. Ishag was unable to walk quickly with crutches, so Mr. Rizig carried him out of the city on his back. After reaching Chad, they aimed to travel through Tine towards a more stable camp further west. As a convoy of trucks prepared to set off, Mr. Rizig again lifted his friend to begin the next stage of their journey away from Darfur.
Published: 2025-12-20 05:00:00
source: www.nytimes.com
