More than 36,000 Sudanese have evacuated after capture of El Fasher to paramilitary group, says UN agency
Over 36,000 civilians have fled Sudan's Kordofan area eastern part 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 region has in recent weeks become the recent fighting area in the two-year civil war between the Sudanese armed forces and the militia group.
Substantial Exodus Numbers
An estimated 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, headed to Tawila, a town west of El Fasher that is currently sheltering over 652,000 displaced people.
Increased Forces Deployment
Local inhabitants of North Kordofan on Monday reported a significant increase in both RSF and army presence across towns and villages throughout the state.
Both forces are contesting 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 gathered at the Bara front here," said an RSF member in a recently shared video statement.
Local Residents Report Protection Issues
A area citizen of Um Smeima, located west of El Obeid, reported that the quantity of RSF vehicles had risen substantially since the group's seizure of El Fasher.
"We discontinued traveling to our farms, concerned about confrontations," the resident explained.
Another inhabitant, who sought confidentiality for security reasons, also confirmed that "there has been a big increase in army vehicles and weapons west and south of El Obeid" over the past two weeks.
Global Concerns and Appeals
A senior UN official sounded warnings last week about "widespread abuses" and "ethnically motivated reprisals" by RSF in Bara.
The official alerted to patterns similar to those in Darfur, where RSF fighters have been alleged to commit mass killings, sexual violence and abductions against certain racial groups.
The church leader on Sunday called for an prompt truce and the opening of humanitarian corridors in Sudan, stating that attacks on civilians and impediments to humanitarian aid "are producing unacceptable suffering."
Sudan's official envoy to Egypt on Sunday charged RSF of committing war crimes in El Fasher and stated that the Sudanese government would not engage with the militia organization.
The ambassador further called on the world nations to designate the group as a terrorist group.
