More than 36,000 Sudanese citizens have evacuated following fall of El Fasher to Rapid Support Forces, reports UN agency
More than 36,000 people have fled Sudan's Kordofan territory eastern sector of Darfur beginning Saturday, as reported by the UN's migration agency.
The important central zone connecting the country's Darfur provinces and the Khartoum-Riverine region has over recent weeks become the latest battleground in the extended civil war between the Sudanese armed forces and the paramilitary group.
Significant Evacuation Statistics
An approximated 36,825 people fled five localities in North Kordofan province between 26 October and 31 October, according to the International Organization for Migration.
The civilians, primarily walking, traveled to Tawila, a town to the west of El Fasher that is currently sheltering over 652,000 displaced people.
Heightened Military Presence
Residents of North Kordofan on Monday noted a significant increase in both RSF and army presence across communities throughout the state.
Both forces are vying for control of El Obeid, the North Kordofan regional 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 message.
Local Residents Report Protection Issues
A area citizen of Um Smeima, located west of El Obeid, reported that the amount of RSF vehicles had increased significantly since the group's capture of El Fasher.
"We ceased visiting our farms, fearing clashes," the local stated.
Another civilian, who requested anonymity for safety concerns, also indicated that "there has been a significant rise in army vehicles and weapons west and south of El Obeid" over the past two weeks.
International Concerns and Requests
A senior UN official raised the alarm last week about "large-scale atrocities" and "ethnic-based retaliations" by RSF in Bara.
The diplomat alerted to patterns comparable to patterns in Darfur, where RSF fighters have been alleged to commit mass killings, sexual violence and abductions against certain racial groups.
The spiritual head on Sunday appealed for an immediate ceasefire and the creation of aid passageways in Sudan, saying that attacks on civilians and impediments to humanitarian aid "are producing unacceptable suffering."
Sudan's ambassador to Egypt on Sunday charged RSF of perpetrating war crimes in El Fasher and announced that the Sudanese government would not engage with the armed faction.
The representative further encouraged the international community to categorize the group as a terrorist organisation.
