More than 36,000 Sudanese people have fled following capture of El Fasher to RSF, states UN agency
In excess of 36,000 people have evacuated from Sudan's Kordofan territory eastern sector of Darfur since Saturday, as reported by the UN's immigration body.
The strategic central area connecting the country's Darfur areas and the capital region has during recent weeks become the newest conflict zone in the 24-month civil conflict between the Sudanese armed forces and the paramilitary forces.
Massive Evacuation Numbers
An calculated 36,825 people escaped five localities in North Kordofan region between 26 October and 31 October, as reported by the International Organization for Migration.
The people, mainly traveling by foot, headed to Tawila, a town west of El Fasher that is currently sheltering over 652,000 evacuated individuals.
Increased Military Presence
Citizens of North Kordofan on Monday noted a significant increase in both RSF and army presence across communities throughout the state.
Both forces are vying for control of El Obeid, the North Kordofan provincial capital and a key logistics and command base that joins Darfur to Khartoum.
"Today, all our forces have assembled at the Bara front here," said an RSF member in a recently shared video statement.
Area Inhabitants Detail Safety Fears
A resident of Um Smeima, located west of El Obeid, reported that the amount of RSF vehicles had grown significantly since the group's capture of El Fasher.
"We ceased visiting our farms, concerned about confrontations," the resident commented.
Another civilian, who requested anonymity for protection purposes, also indicated that "there has been a significant rise in army vehicles and weapons west and south of El Obeid" over the previous fortnight.
World Warnings and Appeals
A senior UN official raised the alarm last week about "widespread abuses" and "ethnically motivated reprisals" by RSF in Bara.
The representative cautioned about patterns comparable to patterns in Darfur, where RSF militants have been alleged to commit mass killings, sexual violence and abductions against non-Arab ethnic groups.
The spiritual head on Sunday appealed for an immediate ceasefire and the establishment of relief routes in Sudan, saying that attacks on civilians and obstacles to humanitarian aid "are creating unacceptable suffering."
Sudan's diplomatic representative to Egypt on Sunday accused RSF of perpetrating war crimes in El Fasher and announced that the Sudanese government would not negotiate with the paramilitary group.
The ambassador further encouraged the international community to designate the group as a terrorist entity.