Over 36,000 Sudanese citizens have escaped after takeover of El Fasher to RSF, reports UN agency
In excess of 36,000 individuals have escaped Sudan's Kordofan area eastern sector of Darfur beginning Saturday, as reported by the UN's migration agency.
The key central region connecting the country's Darfur regions and the Khartoum-Riverine area has in recent weeks become the recent fighting area in the two-year civil war between the Sudanese military forces and the paramilitary group.
Substantial Exodus Figures
An approximated 36,825 people evacuated from five areas in North Kordofan region between 26 October and 31 October, as reported by the International Organization for Migration.
The civilians, mainly traveling by foot, moved toward Tawila, a town western side of El Fasher that is currently sheltering over 652,000 evacuated individuals.
Heightened Military Presence
Residents of North Kordofan on Monday reported a substantial rise in both RSF and army presence across communities throughout the state.
Both armed factions are contesting control of El Obeid, the North Kordofan regional capital and a key logistics and command base that connects Darfur to Khartoum.
"Today, all our forces have assembled at the Bara front here," stated an RSF member in a recently distributed video statement.
Regional Inhabitants Report Safety Fears
A local inhabitant of Um Smeima, located west of El Obeid, reported that the amount of RSF vehicles had increased substantially since the group's capture of El Fasher.
"We ceased visiting our farms, fearing confrontations," the individual commented.
Another resident, who requested anonymity for safety concerns, also reported that "there has been a significant rise in army vehicles and weapons west and south of El Obeid" over the last fourteen days.
Global Warnings and Calls
A senior UN official expressed concerns last week about "widespread abuses" and "ethnically motivated reprisals" by RSF in Bara.
The diplomat alerted to patterns similar to those in Darfur, where RSF combatants have been alleged to commit mass killings, sexual violence and abductions against non-Arab ethnic groups.
The spiritual head on Sunday appealed for an prompt truce and the creation of relief routes in Sudan, saying that attacks on civilians and hindrances to humanitarian aid "are causing unacceptable suffering."
Sudan's official envoy to Egypt on Sunday charged RSF of carrying out war crimes in El Fasher and stated that the Sudanese government would not engage with the armed faction.
The ambassador further urged the international community to designate the group as a terrorist entity.