At least 36,000 Sudanese people have evacuated following capture of El Fasher to RSF, reports UN agency
In excess of 36,000 civilians have fled Sudan's Kordofan region east of Darfur since Saturday, as reported by the UN's migration organization.
The important central zone between the country's Darfur areas and the capital region has during recent weeks become the latest battleground in the two-year civil war between the Sudanese military forces and the paramilitary group.
Massive Exodus Numbers
An estimated 36,825 people fled five areas in North Kordofan region between 26 October and 31 October, per data from the International Organization for Migration.
The individuals, mainly traveling by foot, headed to Tawila, a town western side of El Fasher that is currently accommodating more than 652,000 refugees.
Heightened Military Presence
Local inhabitants of North Kordofan on Monday described a significant increase in both RSF and army deployment across communities throughout the state.
Both military groups are vying for control of El Obeid, the North Kordofan regional capital and a critical supply and command hub that links Darfur to Khartoum.
"Today, all our forces have gathered at the Bara front here," commented an RSF member in a recently shared video statement.
Regional Residents Report Security Concerns
A local inhabitant of Um Smeima, located west of El Obeid, stated that the number of RSF vehicles had grown considerably since the group's seizure of El Fasher.
"We stopped going to our farms, fearing fighting," the resident explained.
Another inhabitant, who requested anonymity for security reasons, also confirmed that "there has been a significant rise in army vehicles and weapons west and south of El Obeid" over the last fourteen days.
International Warnings and Appeals
A senior UN official sounded warnings last week about "widespread abuses" and "race-driven revenge attacks" by RSF in Bara.
The official alerted to patterns echoing those in Darfur, where RSF combatants have been charged with mass killings, sexual violence and abductions against certain racial groups.
The spiritual head on Sunday urged an quick cessation of hostilities and the creation of aid passageways in Sudan, stating that attacks on civilians and obstacles to humanitarian aid "are creating unacceptable suffering."
Sudan's official envoy to Egypt on Sunday charged RSF of committing war crimes in El Fasher and announced that the Sudanese government would not engage with the armed faction.
The ambassador further urged the global community to categorize the group as a terrorist organisation.
