More than 36,000 Sudanese people have fled since capture of El Fasher to Rapid Support Forces, says UN agency
More than 36,000 individuals have fled Sudan's Kordofan territory eastern sector of Darfur since Saturday, according to the UN's migration agency.
The important central zone connecting the country's Darfur areas and the capital region has over recent weeks become the newest conflict zone in the extended civil war between the Sudanese army and the militia group.
Substantial Exodus Statistics
An approximated 36,825 people fled five areas in North Kordofan state between 26 October and 31 October, according to the International Organization for Migration.
The people, most on foot, moved toward Tawila, a town west of El Fasher that is currently housing in excess of 652,000 evacuated individuals.
Escalated Forces Deployment
Local inhabitants of North Kordofan on Monday described a substantial rise in both RSF and army deployment across urban and rural areas throughout the state.
Both armed factions are vying for control of El Obeid, the North Kordofan state capital and a key logistics and command center that connects Darfur to Khartoum.
"Today, all our forces have converged on the Bara front here," commented an RSF member in a recently distributed video statement.
Local Citizens Report Safety Fears
A local inhabitant of Um Smeima, located west of El Obeid, stated that the number of RSF vehicles had grown substantially since the group's capture of El Fasher.
"We ceased visiting our farms, fearing confrontations," the individual stated.
Another inhabitant, who asked to remain unnamed for protection purposes, 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.
Global Concerns and Appeals
A senior UN official raised the alarm last week about "large-scale atrocities" and "ethnic-based retaliations" by RSF in Bara.
The official alerted to patterns similar to those in Darfur, where RSF combatants have been accused of mass killings, sexual violence and abductions against certain racial groups.
The spiritual head on Sunday urged an quick cessation of hostilities and the establishment of aid passageways in Sudan, saying that attacks on civilians and hindrances to humanitarian aid "are producing unacceptable suffering."
Sudan's official envoy to Egypt on Sunday accused RSF of perpetrating war crimes in El Fasher and declared that the Sudanese government would not engage with the armed faction.
The representative further urged the international community to designate the group as a terrorist organisation.
