At least 36,000 Sudanese people have fled since takeover of El Fasher to paramilitary group, reports UN agency
More than 36,000 civilians have evacuated from Sudan's Kordofan area eastern part of Darfur starting Saturday, as stated by the UN's immigration body.
The key central region between the country's Darfur regions and the capital region has during recent weeks become the latest battleground in the extended civil war between the Sudanese armed forces and the paramilitary group.
Significant Exodus Figures
An calculated 36,825 people fled five districts in North Kordofan region between 26 October and 31 October, according to the International Organization for Migration.
The individuals, mainly traveling by foot, headed to Tawila, a town to the west of El Fasher that is currently accommodating more than 652,000 refugees.
Increased Military Presence
Local inhabitants of North Kordofan on Monday noted a substantial rise in both RSF and army deployment across urban and rural areas throughout the state.
Both armed factions are competing for control of El Obeid, the North Kordofan provincial capital and a critical supply and command hub that joins Darfur to Khartoum.
"Today, all our forces have assembled at the Bara front here," stated an RSF member in a recently circulated video declaration.
Regional Inhabitants Describe Safety Fears
A local inhabitant of Um Smeima, located west of El Obeid, stated that the quantity of RSF vehicles had grown significantly since the group's capture of El Fasher.
"We stopped going to our farms, concerned about fighting," the local commented.
Another inhabitant, who asked to remain unnamed for security reasons, also confirmed 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 "ethnic-based retaliations" by RSF in Bara.
The official cautioned about patterns echoing those in Darfur, where RSF combatants have been charged with mass killings, sexual violence and abductions against certain racial groups.
The spiritual head on Sunday urged an prompt truce and the opening of relief routes in Sudan, declaring that attacks on civilians and hindrances to humanitarian aid "are producing unacceptable suffering."
Sudan's ambassador to Egypt on Sunday charged RSF of committing war crimes in El Fasher and announced that the Sudanese government would not discuss with the armed faction.
The representative further called on the world nations to categorize the group as a terrorist group.