Families in Darfur Forced to Pay Ransoms After RSF Overran el-Fasher

Families in Darfur Forced to Pay Ransoms After RSF Overran el-Fasher

When the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) stormed the besieged city of el-Fasher on 26 October, thousands fled toward the nearby town of Tawila, roughly 60 kilometres away. As panic spread, reports emerged that RSF fighters — accused of ethnic targeting — were abducting civilians and demanding ransom payments to secure their release.

Ransoms, abductions and fear

Displaced families say ransom demands have varied widely, from roughly $20 up to $20,000, and often require transfers via national banks or mobile banking apps. In one widely reported case, a woman named Mabrooka received a phone call demanding 14,000 Sudanese pounds (about $20–$25) to free her husband and brother; she later gathered 12,000 pounds in donations and they were released.

"When I got the call, I was terrified and crying the whole time. I knew they would for sure torture and kill them if I didn’t muster up the money," Mabrooka, 27, told reporters.

Scale of displacement and missing people

The United Nations estimates more than 70,000 people were uprooted from el-Fasher after the assault, with over 40,000 reportedly moving toward Tawila. Local aid workers say only around 6,000 have arrived there so far — a gap that likely indicates many people are missing, detained, or being held for ransom.

Evidence, witnesses and video appeals

Local monitors, international relief agencies and victims' families — some speaking anonymously to protect staff and loved ones — say RSF fighters appear to be responsible for many abductions, though criminal gangs and allied militias may also be involved. An authenticated video circulated on social media showed Abbas al-Sadiq, a psychology professor at el-Fasher University, pleading for roughly $3,330 to be transferred to secure his release; local journalists later reported he was freed after payment.

Allegations of atrocities and ethnic targeting

Survivors and monitors have accused the RSF of carrying out executions, rape and mass looting following its capture of the city. The Sudan Doctors Network reported at least 1,500 deaths in the first days after el-Fasher fell, though the true toll may be higher. The RSF has acknowledged some crimes but denies the worst allegations, calling its operations "liberation" efforts. Many observers warn the violence appears to be ethnically targeted, primarily affecting sedentary non-Arab communities.

Humanitarian implications and fear for nearby towns

Relief workers and aid agencies warn that families are being pushed to the brink: after an 18-month siege that caused famine in parts of el-Fasher, paying hundreds or thousands of dollars in ransom is impossible for many. Survivors who have been reunited with relatives stress persistent fear that the RSF may move on to nearby towns such as Tawila, continuing persecution and potentially escalating toward crimes against humanity.

Sources: interviews with survivors and local relief workers, statements from international NGOs, United Nations displacement estimates, and authenticated social media verification of hostage videos.