At least 36,000 Sudanese people have escaped after capture of El Fasher to paramilitary group, says UN agency
More than 36,000 individuals have escaped Sudan's Kordofan territory east of Darfur starting Saturday, as stated by the UN's migration organization.
The important central zone separating the country's Darfur regions and the Khartoum-Riverine area has during recent weeks become the newest conflict zone in the extended civil war between the Sudanese armed forces and the militia group.
Significant Exodus Figures
An calculated 36,825 people escaped five areas in North Kordofan state between 26 October and 31 October, according to the International Organization for Migration.
The civilians, mainly traveling by foot, headed to Tawila, a town to the west of El Fasher that is currently accommodating more than 652,000 displaced people.
Escalated Forces Deployment
Residents of North Kordofan on Monday described a significant increase in both RSF and army concentration across urban and rural areas throughout the state.
Both military groups are competing for control of El Obeid, the North Kordofan provincial capital and a critical supply and command base that connects 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 Describe Safety Fears
A area citizen of Um Smeima, located west of El Obeid, reported that the amount of RSF vehicles had risen considerably since the group's capture of El Fasher.
"We ceased visiting our farms, concerned about confrontations," the individual explained.
Another resident, who requested anonymity for safety concerns, also indicated that "there has been a big increase in army vehicles and weapons west and south of El Obeid" over the past two weeks.
World Warnings and Requests
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 comparable to patterns 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 called for an quick cessation of hostilities and the creation of aid passageways in Sudan, saying that attacks on civilians and obstacles to humanitarian aid "are causing unacceptable suffering."
Sudan's ambassador to Egypt on Sunday accused RSF of committing war crimes in El Fasher and stated that the Sudanese government would not engage with the armed faction.
The diplomat further encouraged the global community to classify the group as a terrorist organisation.