More than 36,000 Sudanese have fled since fall of El Fasher to RSF, says UN agency
More than 36,000 civilians have fled Sudan's Kordofan region eastern sector of Darfur since Saturday, as stated by the UN's immigration body.
The important central zone between the country's Darfur provinces and the Khartoum-Riverine region has during recent weeks become the latest battleground in the 24-month civil conflict between the Sudanese armed forces and the militia group.
Massive Displacement Statistics
An approximated 36,825 people escaped 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, traveled to Tawila, a town to the west of El Fasher that is currently sheltering in excess of 652,000 evacuated individuals.
Increased Military Presence
Local inhabitants of North Kordofan on Monday reported a substantial rise in both RSF and army concentration across towns and villages throughout the state.
Both military groups are competing for control of El Obeid, the North Kordofan regional capital and a important strategic and command hub that joins Darfur to Khartoum.
"Today, all our forces have gathered at the Bara front here," stated an RSF member in a recently shared video declaration.
Regional Residents Detail Safety Fears
A area citizen of Um Smeima, located west of El Obeid, described that the quantity of RSF vehicles had increased significantly since the group's seizure of El Fasher.
"We ceased visiting our farms, concerned about clashes," the individual stated.
Another resident, who sought confidentiality for protection purposes, also reported that "there has been a big increase in army vehicles and weapons west and south of El Obeid" over the last fourteen days.
Global Alarms and Appeals
A senior UN official raised the alarm last week about "widespread abuses" and "ethnic-based retaliations" by RSF in Bara.
The diplomat alerted to patterns similar to those in Darfur, where RSF combatants have been accused of mass killings, sexual violence and abductions against non-Arab ethnic groups.
The religious leader on Sunday called for an quick cessation of hostilities and the creation of relief routes in Sudan, declaring that attacks on civilians and hindrances to humanitarian aid "are causing unacceptable suffering."
Sudan's diplomatic representative to Egypt on Sunday charged RSF of perpetrating war crimes in El Fasher and announced that the Sudanese government would not discuss with the armed faction.
The ambassador further urged the global community to designate the group as a terrorist entity.