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

Over 36,000 civilians have evacuated from Sudan's Kordofan territory eastern sector of Darfur starting Saturday, as stated by the UN's immigration body.

The important central zone connecting the country's Darfur regions and the Khartoum-Riverine area has over recent weeks become the newest conflict zone in the extended civil war between the Sudanese military forces and the paramilitary forces.

Significant Displacement Numbers

An calculated 36,825 people escaped five districts in North Kordofan province between 26 October and 31 October, as reported by the International Organization for Migration.

The people, mainly traveling by foot, traveled to Tawila, a town west of El Fasher that is currently housing more than 652,000 refugees.

Escalated Troop Concentration

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

Both military groups are contesting control of El Obeid, the North Kordofan state capital and a important strategic and command center that joins Darfur to Khartoum.

"Today, all our forces have converged on the Bara front here," said an RSF member in a recently distributed video message.

Regional Inhabitants Report Protection Issues

A local inhabitant of Um Smeima, located west of El Obeid, stated that the amount of RSF vehicles had increased substantially since the group's capture of El Fasher.

"We discontinued traveling to our farms, concerned about fighting," the local stated.

Another resident, who requested anonymity for security reasons, also confirmed that "there has been a big increase in army vehicles and weapons west and south of El Obeid" over the last fourteen days.

World Concerns and Requests

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

The diplomat warned of patterns comparable to patterns in Darfur, where RSF fighters have been alleged to commit mass killings, sexual violence and abductions against non-Arab ethnic groups.

The church leader on Sunday appealed for an prompt truce and the establishment of aid passageways in Sudan, stating that attacks on civilians and impediments to humanitarian aid "are creating unacceptable suffering."

Sudan's diplomatic representative to Egypt on Sunday charged RSF of carrying out war crimes in El Fasher and announced that the Sudanese government would not negotiate with the militia organization.

The representative further urged the global community to classify the group as a terrorist group.