At least 36,000 Sudanese have escaped since capture of El Fasher to paramilitary group, says UN agency
More than 36,000 individuals have fled Sudan's Kordofan territory eastern sector of Darfur since Saturday, according to the UN's migration agency.
The important central zone separating the country's Darfur regions and the capital region has during recent weeks become the latest battleground in the extended civil war between the Sudanese armed forces and the paramilitary group.
Significant Exodus Figures
An estimated 36,825 people evacuated from five districts in North Kordofan province 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 west of El Fasher that is currently housing more than 652,000 evacuated individuals.
Escalated Troop Concentration
Citizens of North Kordofan on Monday described a heavy surge in both RSF and army deployment across communities throughout the state.
Both forces are competing for control of El Obeid, the North Kordofan state capital and a key logistics and command base that links Darfur to Khartoum.
"Today, all our forces have assembled at the Bara front here," commented an RSF member in a recently distributed video statement.
Local Citizens Report Security Concerns
A local inhabitant of Um Smeima, located west of El Obeid, described that the quantity of RSF vehicles had increased significantly since the group's takeover of El Fasher.
"We ceased visiting our farms, fearing fighting," the individual explained.
Another resident, who asked to remain unnamed for protection purposes, also confirmed that "there has been a big increase in army vehicles and weapons west and south of El Obeid" over the previous fortnight.
Global Warnings and Requests
A senior UN official expressed concerns last week about "widespread abuses" and "ethnically motivated reprisals" by RSF in Bara.
The representative cautioned about patterns similar to those 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 urged an quick cessation of hostilities and the opening of humanitarian corridors in Sudan, stating that attacks on civilians and hindrances to humanitarian aid "are creating unacceptable suffering."
Sudan's official envoy to Egypt on Sunday accused RSF of committing war crimes in El Fasher and announced that the Sudanese government would not engage with the militia organization.
The diplomat further urged the international community to categorize the group as a terrorist entity.
