More than 36,000 Sudanese people have evacuated following capture of El Fasher to Rapid Support Forces, states UN agency
More than 36,000 civilians have fled Sudan's Kordofan region eastern part of Darfur since Saturday, according to the UN's immigration body.
The key central region between the country's Darfur areas and the capital region has during recent weeks become the latest battleground in the 24-month civil conflict between the Sudanese armed forces and the paramilitary forces.
Significant Evacuation Figures
An approximated 36,825 people escaped five areas in North Kordofan province between 26 October and 31 October, per data from the International Organization for Migration.
The civilians, mainly traveling by foot, moved toward Tawila, a town west of El Fasher that is currently housing more than 652,000 refugees.
Escalated Troop Concentration
Residents of North Kordofan on Monday reported a significant increase in both RSF and army concentration across towns and villages throughout the state.
Both armed factions are contesting control of El Obeid, the North Kordofan regional capital and a important strategic and command center that connects Darfur to Khartoum.
"Today, all our forces have assembled at the Bara front here," said an RSF member in a recently distributed video message.
Regional Residents Detail Security Concerns
A local inhabitant of Um Smeima, located west of El Obeid, described that the amount of RSF vehicles had grown substantially since the group's capture of El Fasher.
"We discontinued traveling to our farms, concerned about clashes," the resident explained.
Another civilian, who requested anonymity for security reasons, also indicated that "there has been a substantial growth in army vehicles and weapons west and south of El Obeid" over the last fourteen days.
World Alarms and Calls
A senior UN official expressed concerns last week about "widespread abuses" and "ethnic-based retaliations" 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 opening of relief routes in Sudan, saying that attacks on civilians and hindrances to humanitarian aid "are producing 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 militia organization.
The diplomat further encouraged the global community to classify the group as a terrorist group.