More than 36,000 Sudanese have escaped following fall of El Fasher to RSF, reports UN agency
In excess of 36,000 individuals have fled Sudan's Kordofan territory eastern sector of Darfur since Saturday, as reported by the UN's migration agency.
The important central zone separating the country's Darfur areas and the capital region has over recent weeks become the newest conflict zone in the two-year civil war between the Sudanese military forces and the paramilitary group.
Massive Exodus Figures
An approximated 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, most on foot, moved toward Tawila, a town to the west of El Fasher that is currently sheltering over 652,000 refugees.
Heightened Troop Concentration
Citizens of North Kordofan on Monday described a significant increase in both RSF and army concentration across urban and rural areas throughout the state.
Both military groups are competing for control of El Obeid, the North Kordofan regional capital and a key logistics and command hub that links Darfur to Khartoum.
"Today, all our forces have assembled at the Bara front here," commented an RSF member in a recently shared video declaration.
Area Residents Describe Safety Fears
A resident of Um Smeima, located west of El Obeid, described that the amount of RSF vehicles had risen substantially since the group's seizure of El Fasher.
"We discontinued traveling to our farms, fearing fighting," the local stated.
Another resident, who requested anonymity for safety concerns, also confirmed 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 Requests
A senior UN official raised the alarm last week about "widespread abuses" and "ethnic-based retaliations" by RSF in Bara.
The representative cautioned about patterns echoing those in Darfur, where RSF combatants have been accused of mass killings, sexual violence and abductions against specific ethnic communities.
The church leader on Sunday appealed for an immediate ceasefire and the establishment of relief routes in Sudan, saying that attacks on civilians and hindrances 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 announced that the Sudanese government would not engage with the armed faction.
The representative further urged the world nations to designate the group as a terrorist group.