At least 36,000 Sudanese have fled following takeover of El Fasher to RSF, says UN agency

Over 36,000 individuals have escaped Sudan's Kordofan region eastern sector of Darfur beginning Saturday, according to the UN's migration agency.

The key central region separating the country's Darfur regions and the capital region has during recent weeks become the latest battleground in the two-year civil war between the Sudanese army and the militia group.

Massive Evacuation Figures

An calculated 36,825 people evacuated from five districts in North Kordofan state between 26 October and 31 October, per data from the International Organization for Migration.

The individuals, most on foot, moved toward Tawila, a town western side of El Fasher that is currently accommodating more than 652,000 refugees.

Increased Military Presence

Local inhabitants of North Kordofan on Monday described a substantial rise in both RSF and army deployment across towns and villages throughout the state.

Both armed factions are contesting control of El Obeid, the North Kordofan provincial capital and a key logistics and command center that joins Darfur to Khartoum.

"Today, all our forces have assembled at the Bara front here," said an RSF member in a recently circulated video declaration.

Area Citizens Detail Safety Fears

A local inhabitant of Um Smeima, located west of El Obeid, stated that the quantity of RSF vehicles had grown significantly since the group's takeover of El Fasher.

"We stopped going to our farms, afraid of clashes," the resident commented.

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 past two weeks.

World Concerns and Appeals

A senior UN official expressed concerns last week about "widespread abuses" and "ethnically motivated reprisals" by RSF in Bara.

The official warned of patterns similar to those in Darfur, where RSF fighters have been charged with mass killings, sexual violence and abductions against specific ethnic communities.

The spiritual head on Sunday called for an prompt truce and the creation of humanitarian corridors in Sudan, saying that attacks on civilians and hindrances to humanitarian aid "are creating unacceptable suffering."

Sudan's diplomatic representative to Egypt on Sunday alleged RSF of carrying out war crimes in El Fasher and announced that the Sudanese government would not discuss with the paramilitary group.

The diplomat further encouraged the world nations to designate the group as a terrorist group.