Over 36,000 Sudanese have escaped following capture of El Fasher to paramilitary group, says UN agency
Over 36,000 people have escaped Sudan's Kordofan region east of Darfur starting Saturday, as reported by the UN's immigration body.
The strategic central area connecting the country's Darfur areas and the capital region has over recent weeks become the recent fighting area in the extended civil war between the Sudanese armed forces and the paramilitary group.
Substantial Evacuation Statistics
An estimated 36,825 people fled five districts in North Kordofan province between 26 October and 31 October, according to the International Organization for Migration.
The people, primarily walking, moved toward Tawila, a town western side of El Fasher that is currently sheltering more than 652,000 displaced people.
Heightened Forces Deployment
Residents of North Kordofan on Monday described a substantial rise in both RSF and army concentration across communities throughout the state.
Both forces are contesting control of El Obeid, the North Kordofan state capital and a critical supply and command center that links Darfur to Khartoum.
"Today, all our forces have assembled at the Bara front here," said an RSF member in a recently circulated video statement.
Regional Citizens Report Safety Fears
A resident of Um Smeima, located west of El Obeid, reported that the amount of RSF vehicles had risen substantially since the group's seizure of El Fasher.
"We discontinued traveling to our farms, fearing fighting," the individual commented.
Another resident, who requested anonymity 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 previous fortnight.
Global Warnings and Appeals
A senior UN official expressed concerns 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 alleged to commit mass killings, sexual violence and abductions against specific ethnic communities.
The spiritual head on Sunday urged an prompt truce and the creation of relief routes in Sudan, declaring that attacks on civilians and hindrances to humanitarian aid "are creating unacceptable suffering."
Sudan's official envoy to Egypt on Sunday alleged RSF of committing war crimes in El Fasher and announced that the Sudanese government would not engage with the militia organization.
The representative further called on the international community to categorize the group as a terrorist organisation.
