Twelve-year-old Abdiwahab—whose name has been changed to protect his identity—recounts his harrowing escape from the western Sudanese city of el-Fasher with heartbreaking clarity. He left the city on Sunday as it fell to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the paramilitary group currently locked in a brutal two-and-a-half-year civil war with the Sudanese army.
A video shared with the BBC shows a boy visibly scarred by his experiences, his face etched with sorrow and exhaustion. His voice, barely above a whisper, describes repeated assaults by RSF fighters who accused him of being a spy.
“They beat me and hit me, saying, ‘this little boy is a spy’,” he recounts, his words underscoring the extreme risks faced by men and boys, who are particularly vulnerable to arbitrary arrest, violence, and summary execution amidst the conflict.
Abdiwahab joined a desperate exodus of civilians, including some family members, fleeing the city. The United Nations estimates that around 60,000 people have managed to escape el-Fasher, many bearing devastating accounts of atrocities, including sexual violence. Abdiwahab himself was separated from his father and siblings during the chaotic journey, arriving in Tawila alone after three days of walking. He also revealed that RSF fighters had taken his mother and sister about a month prior, and their fate remains unknown.
Ali, a volunteer aid worker who recently escaped el-Fasher, filmed Abdiwahab’s testimony. He is now assisting new arrivals at a makeshift camp in Tawila, a critical hub for those displaced. Ali shared that many children arriving are unaccompanied minors, having lost their parents along the perilous routes. He highlighted the deep trauma these children endure, recounting how Abdiwahab, mistaking a distant light for an RSF vehicle, reacted with terror.
The situation in Tawila is dire, with aid agencies overwhelmed. Survivors speak of witnessing atrocities and finding bodies along the roadsides. However, even humanitarian efforts are fraught with danger, as evidenced by the recent killing of Red Crescent volunteers in another state, leading to extreme caution among aid workers in the region.
Save the Children reports that women and children arriving in Tawila are in desperate need of basic necessities like food, water, and medical care, with some women having been robbed by armed assailants. The UN refugee agency is also struggling to provide adequate shelter and resources for the influx of desperate civilians. Meanwhile, reports persist of mass killings within el-Fasher itself. RSF leader Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo has acknowledged “violations” in the city and pledged investigations, with the UN indicating that arrests have been made.
More BBC stories on the conflict:
- ‘We saw people murdered in front of us’ – Sudan siege survivors speak to the BBC
- New videos show executions after RSF militia takes key Sudan city
- A simple guide to what is happening in Sudan