At least 36,000 Sudanese citizens have escaped following takeover of El Fasher to RSF, reports UN agency
Over 36,000 people have fled Sudan's Kordofan territory east of Darfur since Saturday, according to the UN's migration organization.
The important central zone connecting the country's Darfur provinces and the capital region has over recent weeks become the recent fighting area in the two-year civil war between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary forces.
Substantial Evacuation Numbers
An calculated 36,825 people evacuated from five areas in North Kordofan province between 26 October and 31 October, per data from the International Organization for Migration.
The people, primarily walking, traveled to Tawila, a town to the west of El Fasher that is currently accommodating over 652,000 refugees.
Increased Forces Deployment
Citizens of North Kordofan on Monday reported a heavy surge in both RSF and army presence across communities throughout the state.
Both armed factions are competing for control of El Obeid, the North Kordofan regional capital and a critical supply and command hub that joins Darfur to Khartoum.
"Today, all our forces have gathered at the Bara front here," said an RSF member in a recently shared video message.
Regional Residents Report Security Concerns
A local inhabitant of Um Smeima, located west of El Obeid, stated that the quantity of RSF vehicles had risen considerably since the group's seizure of El Fasher.
"We ceased visiting our farms, concerned about fighting," the individual explained.
Another civilian, who sought confidentiality for safety concerns, also confirmed that "there has been a significant rise in army vehicles and weapons west and south of El Obeid" over the past two weeks.
Global Concerns and Requests
A senior UN official raised the alarm last week about "large-scale atrocities" and "ethnic-based retaliations" by RSF in Bara.
The representative alerted to patterns echoing those in Darfur, where RSF militants have been charged with mass killings, sexual violence and abductions against certain racial groups.
The church leader on Sunday called for an prompt truce and the creation of aid passageways in Sudan, stating that attacks on civilians and impediments to humanitarian aid "are causing unacceptable suffering."
Sudan's official envoy to Egypt on Sunday alleged RSF of carrying out war crimes in El Fasher and stated that the Sudanese government would not engage with the armed faction.
The diplomat further urged the international community to classify the group as a terrorist organisation.
