Over 36,000 Sudanese people have escaped following fall of El Fasher to paramilitary group, says UN agency
More than 36,000 people have fled Sudan's Kordofan territory eastern sector of Darfur beginning Saturday, according to the UN's migration organization.
The strategic central area connecting the country's Darfur provinces and the Khartoum-Riverine area has during recent weeks become the newest conflict zone in the extended civil war between the Sudanese military forces and the paramilitary forces.
Substantial Evacuation Figures
An calculated 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, mainly traveling by foot, headed to Tawila, a town to the west of El Fasher that is currently sheltering over 652,000 displaced people.
Increased Forces Deployment
Citizens of North Kordofan on Monday described a significant increase in both RSF and army concentration across communities throughout the state.
Both armed factions are vying for control of El Obeid, the North Kordofan provincial 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 message.
Regional Citizens Detail Protection Issues
A local inhabitant of Um Smeima, located west of El Obeid, stated that the number of RSF vehicles had risen considerably since the group's capture of El Fasher.
"We stopped going to our farms, fearing confrontations," the local explained.
Another civilian, who requested anonymity for protection purposes, also confirmed that "there has been a substantial growth in army vehicles and weapons west and south of El Obeid" over the last fourteen days.
Global Alarms and Requests
A senior UN official sounded warnings last week about "large-scale atrocities" and "ethnic-based retaliations" by RSF in Bara.
The diplomat alerted to patterns comparable to patterns in Darfur, where RSF fighters have been accused of mass killings, sexual violence and abductions against certain racial groups.
The religious leader on Sunday appealed for an immediate ceasefire and the establishment of relief routes in Sudan, stating that attacks on civilians and obstacles to humanitarian aid "are producing unacceptable suffering."
Sudan's ambassador to Egypt on Sunday alleged RSF of carrying out 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 categorize the group as a terrorist organisation.
