Over 36,000 Sudanese have evacuated since takeover of El Fasher to paramilitary group, reports UN agency
In excess of 36,000 people have escaped Sudan's Kordofan territory eastern part of Darfur beginning Saturday, according to the UN's migration agency.
The important central zone connecting the country's Darfur provinces and the capital region has in recent weeks become the latest battleground in the two-year civil war between the Sudanese armed forces and the paramilitary forces.
Massive Exodus Numbers
An calculated 36,825 people escaped five districts in North Kordofan region between 26 October and 31 October, per data from the International Organization for Migration.
The civilians, most on foot, moved toward Tawila, a town western side of El Fasher that is currently housing over 652,000 refugees.
Heightened Forces Deployment
Residents of North Kordofan on Monday described a substantial rise in both RSF and army presence across towns and villages throughout the state.
Both armed factions are competing for control of El Obeid, the North Kordofan provincial capital and a critical supply and command base that joins Darfur to Khartoum.
"Today, all our forces have assembled at the Bara front here," commented an RSF member in a recently circulated video message.
Local Inhabitants Detail Safety Fears
A resident of Um Smeima, located west of El Obeid, described that the number of RSF vehicles had grown considerably since the group's seizure of El Fasher.
"We ceased visiting our farms, afraid of confrontations," the individual explained.
Another inhabitant, who sought confidentiality for security reasons, also reported that "there has been a substantial growth 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 "extensive crimes" and "race-driven revenge attacks" by RSF in Bara.
The representative alerted to patterns comparable to patterns in Darfur, where RSF combatants have been alleged to commit mass killings, sexual violence and abductions against specific ethnic communities.
The church leader on Sunday appealed for an quick cessation of hostilities and the establishment of humanitarian corridors in Sudan, declaring that attacks on civilians and hindrances to humanitarian aid "are causing unacceptable suffering."
Sudan's official envoy to Egypt on Sunday accused RSF of perpetrating war crimes in El Fasher and stated that the Sudanese government would not negotiate with the militia organization.
The representative further urged the world nations to classify the group as a terrorist entity.
