Over 36,000 Sudanese citizens have evacuated following fall of El Fasher to Rapid Support Forces, says UN agency
More than 36,000 individuals have fled Sudan's Kordofan region eastern sector of Darfur beginning Saturday, as stated by the UN's migration agency.
The strategic central area between the country's Darfur provinces and the capital region has over recent weeks become the latest battleground in the 24-month civil conflict between the Sudanese military forces and the paramilitary group.
Massive Displacement Numbers
An approximated 36,825 people escaped five districts in North Kordofan state between 26 October and 31 October, according to the International Organization for Migration.
The people, primarily walking, traveled to Tawila, a town to the west of El Fasher that is currently sheltering in excess of 652,000 displaced people.
Heightened Forces Deployment
Residents of North Kordofan on Monday noted a significant increase in both RSF and army concentration across towns and villages throughout the state.
Both armed factions are contesting control of El Obeid, the North Kordofan provincial capital and a important strategic and command base that links Darfur to Khartoum.
"Today, all our forces have converged on the Bara front here," commented an RSF member in a recently distributed video declaration.
Local Inhabitants Report Safety Fears
A area citizen of Um Smeima, located west of El Obeid, reported that the quantity of RSF vehicles had increased considerably since the group's takeover of El Fasher.
"We ceased visiting our farms, fearing confrontations," the resident commented.
Another resident, who requested anonymity for security reasons, also indicated that "there has been a big increase in army vehicles and weapons west and south of El Obeid" over the last fourteen days.
International Concerns and Calls
A senior UN official expressed concerns last week about "widespread abuses" and "ethnic-based retaliations" by RSF in Bara.
The diplomat alerted to patterns similar to those in Darfur, where RSF combatants have been charged with mass killings, sexual violence and abductions against specific ethnic communities.
The spiritual head on Sunday called for an prompt truce and the establishment of humanitarian corridors in Sudan, stating that attacks on civilians and hindrances 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 announced that the Sudanese government would not engage with the paramilitary group.
The ambassador further encouraged the international community to categorize the group as a terrorist entity.