More than 36,000 Sudanese have evacuated since fall of El Fasher to Rapid Support Forces, reports UN agency

More than 36,000 civilians have escaped Sudan's Kordofan territory eastern part of Darfur since Saturday, according to the UN's migration agency.

The strategic central area connecting the country's Darfur areas and the Khartoum-Riverine region has over recent weeks become the newest conflict zone in the two-year civil war between the Sudanese military forces and the paramilitary group.

Substantial Evacuation Statistics

An calculated 36,825 people escaped five districts in North Kordofan region between 26 October and 31 October, according to the International Organization for Migration.

The civilians, primarily walking, moved toward Tawila, a town west of El Fasher that is currently accommodating in excess of 652,000 displaced people.

Escalated Forces Deployment

Citizens of North Kordofan on Monday noted a significant increase in both RSF and army concentration across urban and rural areas throughout the state.

Both forces are competing for control of El Obeid, the North Kordofan provincial capital and a important strategic and command hub that joins Darfur to Khartoum.

"Today, all our forces have gathered at the Bara front here," commented an RSF member in a recently circulated video message.

Regional Citizens Detail Security Concerns

A resident of Um Smeima, located west of El Obeid, stated that the quantity of RSF vehicles had increased considerably since the group's takeover of El Fasher.

"We stopped going to our farms, concerned about clashes," the individual stated.

Another civilian, who requested anonymity for safety concerns, also confirmed that "there has been a substantial growth in army vehicles and weapons west and south of El Obeid" over the previous fortnight.

World Concerns and Appeals

A senior UN official expressed concerns last week about "widespread abuses" and "race-driven revenge attacks" by RSF in Bara.

The official cautioned about patterns echoing those in Darfur, where RSF militants 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 creation of relief routes in Sudan, stating that attacks on civilians and obstacles to humanitarian aid "are producing unacceptable suffering."

Sudan's diplomatic representative to Egypt on Sunday charged RSF of perpetrating war crimes in El Fasher and declared that the Sudanese government would not discuss with the paramilitary group.

The representative further urged the international community to designate the group as a terrorist group.

Michael Shaw
Michael Shaw

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