More than 36,000 Sudanese citizens have fled following fall of El Fasher to paramilitary group, reports UN agency
Over 36,000 individuals have escaped Sudan's Kordofan area eastern sector of Darfur starting Saturday, according to the UN's immigration body.
The strategic central area connecting the country's Darfur areas and the Khartoum-Riverine region has during recent weeks become the latest battleground in the two-year civil war between the Sudanese military forces and the militia group.
Substantial Evacuation Numbers
An calculated 36,825 people fled five localities in North Kordofan region between 26 October and 31 October, per data from the International Organization for Migration.
The people, primarily walking, moved toward Tawila, a town to the west of El Fasher that is currently accommodating in excess of 652,000 evacuated individuals.
Escalated Forces Deployment
Residents of North Kordofan on Monday reported a substantial rise in both RSF and army concentration across urban and rural areas throughout the state.
Both armed factions are contesting control of El Obeid, the North Kordofan state capital and a critical supply and command center that connects Darfur to Khartoum.
"Today, all our forces have gathered at the Bara front here," said an RSF member in a recently circulated video message.
Local Citizens Describe Security Concerns
A resident of Um Smeima, located west of El Obeid, stated that the number of RSF vehicles had increased considerably since the group's seizure of El Fasher.
"We ceased visiting our farms, afraid of confrontations," the individual explained.
Another resident, who sought confidentiality for security reasons, also indicated that "there has been a substantial growth in army vehicles and weapons west and south of El Obeid" over the past two weeks.
International Alarms and Requests
A senior UN official sounded warnings last week about "extensive crimes" and "ethnically motivated reprisals" by RSF in Bara.
The diplomat cautioned about patterns comparable to patterns in Darfur, where RSF fighters have been alleged to commit mass killings, sexual violence and abductions against specific ethnic communities.
The spiritual head on Sunday appealed for an quick cessation of hostilities and the opening of aid passageways in Sudan, saying that attacks on civilians and obstacles to humanitarian aid "are producing unacceptable suffering."
Sudan's diplomatic representative to Egypt on Sunday charged RSF of carrying out war crimes in El Fasher and stated that the Sudanese government would not negotiate with the armed faction.
The representative further urged the international community to classify the group as a terrorist organisation.
