Over 36,000 Sudanese citizens have escaped after fall of El Fasher to Rapid Support Forces, states UN agency
In excess of 36,000 civilians have fled Sudan's Kordofan region eastern sector of Darfur since Saturday, according to the UN's immigration body.
The key central region separating the country's Darfur provinces and the capital region has during recent weeks become the latest battleground in the 24-month civil conflict between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary forces.
Massive Evacuation Numbers
An calculated 36,825 people evacuated from five districts in North Kordofan region between 26 October and 31 October, as reported by the International Organization for Migration.
The civilians, most on foot, moved toward Tawila, a town west of El Fasher that is currently sheltering more than 652,000 evacuated individuals.
Increased Forces Deployment
Citizens of North Kordofan on Monday described a substantial rise in both RSF and army presence across communities throughout the state.
Both forces are competing for control of El Obeid, the North Kordofan regional capital and a key logistics and command center that links Darfur to Khartoum.
"Today, all our forces have assembled at the Bara front here," commented an RSF member in a recently distributed video declaration.
Local Citizens Describe Protection Issues
A local inhabitant of Um Smeima, located west of El Obeid, stated that the amount of RSF vehicles had grown significantly since the group's seizure of El Fasher.
"We discontinued traveling to our farms, fearing fighting," the individual explained.
Another civilian, who sought confidentiality for safety concerns, also indicated that "there has been a significant rise in army vehicles and weapons west and south of El Obeid" over the last fourteen days.
World Concerns and Requests
A senior UN official raised the alarm last week about "large-scale atrocities" and "race-driven revenge attacks" by RSF in Bara.
The representative warned of patterns comparable to patterns in Darfur, where RSF militants have been alleged to commit mass killings, sexual violence and abductions against specific ethnic communities.
The religious leader on Sunday urged an immediate ceasefire and the establishment of aid passageways in Sudan, stating that attacks on civilians and obstacles to humanitarian aid "are causing unacceptable suffering."
Sudan's diplomatic representative to Egypt on Sunday charged RSF of carrying out war crimes in El Fasher and stated that the Sudanese government would not negotiate with the paramilitary group.
The diplomat further urged the world nations to classify the group as a terrorist organisation.
