At least 36,000 Sudanese citizens have evacuated since capture of El Fasher to RSF, says UN agency
Over 36,000 individuals have fled Sudan's Kordofan region eastern part of Darfur starting Saturday, according to the UN's migration agency.
The key central region connecting the country's Darfur regions and the Khartoum-Riverine region has during recent weeks become the latest battleground in the extended civil war between the Sudanese military forces and the paramilitary forces.
Massive Evacuation Statistics
An approximated 36,825 people evacuated from five localities in North Kordofan state between 26 October and 31 October, according to the International Organization for Migration.
The civilians, most on foot, headed to Tawila, a town to the west 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 deployment across communities throughout the state.
Both armed factions are vying for control of El Obeid, the North Kordofan provincial capital and a important strategic and command hub that links Darfur to Khartoum.
"Today, all our forces have assembled at the Bara front here," stated an RSF member in a recently circulated video declaration.
Local Citizens Report Security Concerns
A area citizen of Um Smeima, located west of El Obeid, reported that the amount of RSF vehicles had increased substantially since the group's seizure of El Fasher.
"We stopped going to our farms, afraid of clashes," the resident commented.
Another resident, who asked to remain unnamed for safety concerns, also indicated that "there has been a substantial growth in army vehicles and weapons west and south of El Obeid" over the past two weeks.
International Alarms and Appeals
A senior UN official raised the alarm last week about "large-scale atrocities" and "ethnic-based retaliations" by RSF in Bara.
The diplomat cautioned about patterns comparable to patterns in Darfur, where RSF fighters have been accused of mass killings, sexual violence and abductions against specific ethnic communities.
The spiritual head on Sunday appealed for an quick cessation of hostilities and the establishment of relief routes in Sudan, stating that attacks on civilians and hindrances to humanitarian aid "are causing unacceptable suffering."
Sudan's official envoy to Egypt on Sunday alleged RSF of perpetrating war crimes in El Fasher and declared that the Sudanese government would not discuss with the militia organization.
The diplomat further encouraged the global community to classify the group as a terrorist organisation.
