Over 36,000 Sudanese people have escaped after capture of El Fasher to RSF, states UN agency
Over 36,000 civilians have escaped Sudan's Kordofan region east of Darfur since Saturday, as stated by the UN's migration agency.
The important central zone separating the country's Darfur areas and the capital region has in recent weeks become the recent fighting area in the 24-month civil conflict between the Sudanese armed forces and the paramilitary group.
Significant Evacuation Figures
An calculated 36,825 people escaped five districts in North Kordofan state between 26 October and 31 October, as reported by the International Organization for Migration.
The civilians, mainly traveling by foot, traveled to Tawila, a town western side of El Fasher that is currently sheltering over 652,000 refugees.
Escalated Military Presence
Citizens of North Kordofan on Monday noted a significant increase in both RSF and army concentration across communities throughout the state.
Both armed factions are vying for control of El Obeid, the North Kordofan provincial capital and a key logistics and command base that connects Darfur to Khartoum.
"Today, all our forces have assembled at the Bara front here," said an RSF member in a recently circulated video declaration.
Area Inhabitants Describe Safety Fears
A local inhabitant of Um Smeima, located west of El Obeid, described that the quantity of RSF vehicles had increased significantly since the group's capture of El Fasher.
"We discontinued traveling to our farms, concerned about confrontations," the local explained.
Another resident, who sought confidentiality for protection purposes, 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.
World Alarms and Calls
A senior UN official raised the alarm last week about "extensive crimes" and "ethnically motivated reprisals" by RSF in Bara.
The official alerted to patterns comparable to patterns in Darfur, where RSF fighters have been accused of mass killings, sexual violence and abductions against non-Arab ethnic groups.
The religious leader on Sunday urged an quick cessation of hostilities and the establishment of relief routes in Sudan, stating that attacks on civilians and obstacles to humanitarian aid "are creating unacceptable suffering."
Sudan's ambassador to Egypt on Sunday accused RSF of carrying out war crimes in El Fasher and stated that the Sudanese government would not engage with the militia organization.
The representative further urged the international community to categorize the group as a terrorist organisation.