Over 36,000 Sudanese citizens have fled since takeover of El Fasher to Rapid Support Forces, states UN agency
Over 36,000 individuals have escaped Sudan's Kordofan area east of Darfur starting Saturday, as stated by the UN's migration organization.
The important central zone connecting the country's Darfur areas and the Khartoum-Riverine area has over 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 fled five localities in North Kordofan region between 26 October and 31 October, per data from the International Organization for Migration.
The individuals, most on foot, headed to Tawila, a town west of El Fasher that is currently sheltering in excess of 652,000 displaced people.
Heightened Military Presence
Local inhabitants of North Kordofan on Monday reported a heavy surge in both RSF and army deployment across urban and rural areas throughout the state.
Both military groups are contesting control of El Obeid, the North Kordofan state capital and a key logistics and command center that links Darfur to Khartoum.
"Today, all our forces have assembled at the Bara front here," said an RSF member in a recently shared video declaration.
Local Inhabitants Detail Safety Fears
A local inhabitant of Um Smeima, located west of El Obeid, described that the amount of RSF vehicles had risen significantly since the group's takeover of El Fasher.
"We stopped going to our farms, concerned about fighting," the resident commented.
Another civilian, 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 previous fortnight.
Global Alarms and Appeals
A senior UN official sounded warnings last week about "extensive crimes" and "race-driven revenge attacks" by RSF in Bara.
The diplomat alerted to patterns echoing those in Darfur, where RSF militants have been charged with mass killings, sexual violence and abductions against non-Arab ethnic groups.
The church leader on Sunday appealed for an prompt truce and the opening of humanitarian corridors in Sudan, saying that attacks on civilians and obstacles 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 stated that the Sudanese government would not engage with the militia organization.
The representative further encouraged the world nations to designate the group as a terrorist entity.