Global News Podcast (BBC World Service)

Episode: Sudan Civil War: The Terrifying Escape from El Fasher

Date: December 1, 2025

Host: Alex Ritson

Episode Overview

This episode spotlights harrowing personal testimonies from Sudanese civilians who escaped El Fasher after its brutal fall to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), focusing on their experiences of violence and survival. The podcast also covers several other major global stories including Israeli politics, US-led Ukraine peace talks, severe flooding in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia, new findings on protests in Georgia, and the Word of the Year.

Main Segment: Brutality and Flight from El Fasher, Sudan

Context & Background

• Background: El Fasher in Darfur fell to the RSF after an 18-month siege, expelling the Sudanese army from western Darfur and marking a major shift in the conflict.
• Situation: Those fleeing have reported widespread killings, sexual violence, and catastrophic conditions.

First-hand Accounts from Refugees

Barbara Platt Usher reports from a camp near Al Dabba in northern Sudan, detailing survivors' stories (03:00–07:35).

• Mohammed Abakar Ahmed Adam:

  • Fled with his family as RSF advanced, witnessing deadly violence on the escape route.

  • Quote:

    "They shot some people directly in front of us, then they carried them and threw them far away and on the road. We saw dead bodies out in the open, unburied. Some had lain there for two or three days."
    (03:48)

  • Confirms rape and sexual violence:

    "They would take a woman behind a tree or take her far from us... but you would hear her shout, 'Help me, help me.' And she would come and say, they raped me."
    (04:10)

• 19-year-old Woman (identity protected):

  • Recounts RSF taking a girl from her group at a checkpoint, fears for her siblings during escape.
  • Describes her grandmother dying from exhaustion en route, leaving the young siblings alone.

• 15-year-old Brother:

  • Details RSF suspicion and abuse towards fleeing young men:

    "They took the young men out of the cars and interrogated us for hours in the hot sun. They said we were soldiers... The RSF fighters stood over us... whipping us and threatening us with their guns. I lost hope and told them, whatever you want to do to me, do it. But finally they let me go."
    (05:43)

• Abdelkader (62 years old):

  • Developed serious health issues during the siege but forced to flee, enduring violence regardless of his age or condition.
  • Quote:

    "They 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. They saw someone was still breathing. They drove over them... At the checkpoint, when they separated the men from the women, boom, boom, boom. They shot them. They shot the men."
    (06:37)

Additional Notes

• RSF statement: The RSF claims it is investigating violations but denies systematic abuse; both sides face war crimes allegations.
• Resilience Amid Brokenness: Despite repeated trauma, the refugees show resilience, grounding hope in faith.

Other Major Global Headlines

Israel: Netanyahu Requests Presidential Pardon

Implications for Governance and Democracy
(07:35–10:15)

• Details: Benjamin Netanyahu formally requests a presidential pardon from President Herzog over ongoing corruption trials, claiming trial commitments hinder governance and national security.

• Public divide:

  • Victim’s father:

    "To ask for a pardon without admitting any guilt, without losing any position... I certainly don't think that he should get it."
    (09:06)

  • Supporter:

    "I think basically it was a minor infraction and... I would hope Herzog will agree and then we can get done with all this."
    (09:10)

• Potential Constitutional Crisis: Critics warn a pardon without resignation or admission could provoke constitutional upheaval.

Ukraine: US-Led Peace Negotiations

(10:15–13:57)

• Active Diplomacy: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and President Trump push for new peace terms between Russia and Ukraine.

  • Rubio:

    "We don't just want to end the war. We also want to help Ukraine be safe forever so never again will they face another invasion... and more prosperous than it's ever been."
    (11:30)

• Ukrainian Response:

  • Rustem Umarov, Kyiv’s negotiator:

    "Our objective is a prosperous, strong Ukraine. We discussed all the matters that are important for Ukraine, for Ukrainian people, and US was super supportive."
    (12:39)

• Sticking Points: Security guarantees, Russian red lines, and the Western limitation on aid.

Sri Lanka & Southeast Asia Flooding Crisis

(13:57–17:32)

• Disaster Scale: Over 330 dead after Cyclone Detoire; search and rescue ongoing, with thousands displaced and infrastructure destroyed.

• Expert Comment:

  • Anbarasan ETI Rajan:

    "Now they are understanding the full scale, the impact of the cyclone as well as the torrential rain that triggered massive floods... The immediate priority now is for rehabilitation and reconstruction."
    (14:53, 15:32)

• Wider Region: Multiple cyclones impact Southeast Asia; unprecedented rainfall linked to climate change.

Georgia: Chemical Weapons Against Protesters

(21:06–25:13)

• BBC Investigation: Evidence suggests Georgian authorities used World War I-era chemicals (e.g., trichloroethylene and possibly camite) in water cannons during 2024 protests.

• Expert Alarm:

  • UN Rapporteur Dr. Alice Edwards:

    "I would describe water cannons infused with toxins as entirely unnecessary given that it is poorly regulated internationally... This is absolutely in violation of human rights law."
    (24:49–25:13)

• Government Denial: Georgia calls the allegations "absurd" and claims police acted legally.

Human Rights: The Ordeal of Elizabeth Surkov

(25:13–28:50)

• Story: Israeli-Russian academic Elizabeth Surkov describes her captivity and torture by Iraqi militants.
• Survivor Testimony:
  • Quote:

    "I have friends... who survived torture in Assad's prisons... I've read human rights reports about torture, and yet nothing really prepares you for the horror of undergoing it."
    (27:47–28:50)

Pope Leo's Visit to Lebanon

(28:50–29:37)

• Themes: Peace, religious dialogue, condemnation of violence, and calls for a two-state solution in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
• Public Reaction: National holiday declared, cross-community welcome for the Pope.

Word of the Year: "Rage Bait"

(30:25–31:04)

• Definition: Content deliberately designed to provoke online anger ("rage bait") chosen by Oxford University Press as 2025’s defining word.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "They shot some people directly in front of us, then they carried them and threw them far away..." – Mohammed Abakar Ahmed Adam (03:48)
• "You wouldn't see with your own eyes, but you would hear her shout, 'Help me, help me.'" – Survivor account of rape by RSF (04:10)
• "At the checkpoint, when they separated the men from the women, boom, boom, boom. They shot them." – Abdelkader (06:37)
• "I certainly don't think that he should get it." – Israeli citizen on Netanyahu’s pardon (09:06)
• "This is absolutely in violation of human rights law." – Dr. Alice Edwards on Georgia chemical weapons allegations (25:13)
• "Nothing really prepares you for the horror of undergoing it." – Elizabeth Surkov on surviving torture (28:50)
• "Rage bait" – Oxford's Word of the Year reflects the mood and online trends (30:25)

Key Timestamps

• Sudan refugees' testimonies: 03:00–07:35
• Netanyahu’s pardon request: 07:35–10:15
• Ukraine peace talks: 10:15–13:57
• Sri Lanka & SE Asia floods: 13:57–17:32
• Georgia chemical weapons probe: 21:06–25:13
• Elizabeth Surkov’s ordeal: 25:13–28:50
• Pope in Lebanon: 28:50–29:37
• Word of the Year: 30:25–31:04

Tone and Presentation

The episode maintains BBC’s measured, impartial tone while giving space for deeply personal and distressing testimonies. While the host, Alex Ritson, introduces and navigates stories with clarity and compassion, the true tone of the episode is marked by the urgency and tragedy of the firsthand accounts from Sudanese refugees and survivors elsewhere.

Conclusion

This edition of the Global News Podcast powerfully humanizes the atrocities experienced by Sudanese civilians while contextualizing other pressing stories—from political drama in Israel to disaster relief in South Asia and new questions about protester rights in Georgia. It provides a wide-angle view of both suffering and resilience in a world wracked by conflict, disaster, and rapid change.