At least 36,000 Sudanese have escaped after takeover of El Fasher to Rapid Support Forces, states UN agency
More than 36,000 individuals have evacuated from Sudan's Kordofan territory east of Darfur beginning Saturday, according to the UN's migration organization.
The key central region connecting the country's Darfur areas and the Khartoum-Riverine area has in recent weeks become the recent fighting area in the extended civil war between the Sudanese military forces and the paramilitary forces.
Significant Exodus Figures
An approximated 36,825 people fled five districts in North Kordofan state between 26 October and 31 October, per data from the International Organization for Migration.
The people, primarily walking, moved toward Tawila, a town to the west of El Fasher that is currently housing over 652,000 refugees.
Heightened Military Presence
Local inhabitants of North Kordofan on Monday described a heavy surge in both RSF and army deployment across communities throughout the state.
Both forces are vying for control of El Obeid, the North Kordofan state capital and a critical supply and command center that joins Darfur to Khartoum.
"Today, all our forces have converged on the Bara front here," stated an RSF member in a recently shared video declaration.
Regional Citizens Report Security Concerns
A resident of Um Smeima, located west of El Obeid, stated that the amount of RSF vehicles had risen substantially since the group's seizure of El Fasher.
"We ceased visiting our farms, concerned about clashes," the individual stated.
Another inhabitant, who sought confidentiality for protection purposes, also reported that "there has been a big increase in army vehicles and weapons west and south of El Obeid" over the past two weeks.
Global Alarms and Appeals
A senior UN official raised the alarm last week about "widespread abuses" and "ethnically motivated reprisals" by RSF in Bara.
The diplomat warned of patterns echoing those in Darfur, where RSF combatants have been charged with mass killings, sexual violence and abductions against non-Arab ethnic groups.
The religious leader on Sunday called for an prompt truce and the establishment of humanitarian corridors in Sudan, stating that attacks on civilians and obstacles to humanitarian aid "are creating unacceptable suffering."
Sudan's official envoy to Egypt on Sunday accused RSF of carrying out war crimes in El Fasher and stated that the Sudanese government would not negotiate with the militia organization.
The representative further called on the international community to classify the group as a terrorist group.