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According to the United Nations refugee organization, in excess of 60,000 civilians have escaped the Sudanese city of el-Fasher, which was captured by the militia Rapid Support Forces during the weekend.

There have been multiple executions and atrocities as militia members entered the city after an year-and-a-half encirclement characterized by starvation and sustained attacks.

The movement of those running from the fighting towards the town of Tawila, approximately 80km (50 miles) to the west of el-Fasher, had accelerated in the last several days, per UNHCR spokesperson.

Refugees were describing shocking tales of violence, such as sexual violence, and the agency was struggling to locate sufficient accommodation and supplies for them.

Each child was suffering from nutritional deficiencies, she noted.

It is estimated that in excess of 150,000 people are presently trapped in el-Fasher, which had been the army's remaining fortress in the western region of Darfur.

The Rapid Support Forces has disputed extensive claims that the deaths in el-Fasher are ethnically motivated and resemble a pattern of the Arab paramilitaries focusing on non-Arab populations.

Nevertheless the RSF has custodied one of its members, Abu Lulu, who has been implicated in on-the-spot executions.

The force released recordings revealing the militiaman's detention after confirmation that he was responsible for the death of numerous unarmed men near el-Fasher.

Digital platform has verified that it has banned the channel connected to Lulu. It is not clear whether he had controlled the profile in his name.

Sudan was thrown into a domestic fighting in April 2023 after a vicious contest for control broke out between its army and the Rapid Support Forces.

The conflict has caused a famine and accusations of ethnic cleansing in the western Sudan.

More than 150,000 people have died in the war across the country, and about 12 million have fled their residences in what the UN has described as the biggest global humanitarian crisis.

The seizure of el-Fasher solidifies the geographic split in the country, with the RSF now in dominance of western Sudan and a large portion of neighbouring Kordofan to the southern area, and the army occupying the capital, Khartoum, central and eastern regions along the coastal region.

The competing factions had been partners - coming to power together in a seizure of power in 2021 - but disagreed over an internationally backed plan to transition to democratic governance.