Over 36,000 Sudanese have evacuated following fall of El Fasher to RSF, states UN agency
In excess of 36,000 civilians have escaped Sudan's Kordofan territory east of Darfur beginning Saturday, according to the UN's immigration body.
The key central region between the country's Darfur areas and the Khartoum-Riverine region has over recent weeks become the recent fighting area in the two-year civil war between the Sudanese military forces and the militia group.
Substantial Exodus Figures
An estimated 36,825 people escaped five localities in North Kordofan province between 26 October and 31 October, per data from the International Organization for Migration.
The civilians, primarily walking, moved toward Tawila, a town west of El Fasher that is currently sheltering over 652,000 displaced people.
Heightened Forces Deployment
Citizens of North Kordofan on Monday noted a heavy surge 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 important strategic and command hub that links Darfur to Khartoum.
"Today, all our forces have gathered at the Bara front here," stated an RSF member in a recently distributed video statement.
Area Inhabitants Report Safety Fears
A resident of Um Smeima, located west of El Obeid, stated that the amount of RSF vehicles had grown considerably since the group's capture of El Fasher.
"We stopped going to our farms, afraid of confrontations," the local stated.
Another inhabitant, who requested anonymity for security reasons, also reported that "there has been a substantial growth in army vehicles and weapons west and south of El Obeid" over the previous fortnight.
International Alarms and Appeals
A senior UN official expressed concerns last week about "extensive crimes" and "ethnically motivated reprisals" by RSF in Bara.
The diplomat warned of patterns comparable to patterns in Darfur, where RSF militants have been charged with mass killings, sexual violence and abductions against non-Arab ethnic groups.
The spiritual head on Sunday appealed for an quick cessation of hostilities and the creation of humanitarian corridors in Sudan, declaring that attacks on civilians and impediments to humanitarian aid "are creating unacceptable suffering."
Sudan's ambassador to Egypt on Sunday accused RSF of committing war crimes in El Fasher and announced that the Sudanese government would not discuss with the militia organization.
The representative further urged the global community to categorize the group as a terrorist group.