More than 36,000 Sudanese people have escaped since takeover of El Fasher to RSF, reports UN agency
Over 36,000 civilians have escaped Sudan's Kordofan region east of Darfur beginning Saturday, according to the UN's migration organization.
The strategic central area separating the country's Darfur regions and the capital region has over recent weeks become the newest conflict zone in the two-year civil war between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary forces.
Substantial Evacuation Numbers
An estimated 36,825 people evacuated from five districts in North Kordofan province between 26 October and 31 October, according to the International Organization for Migration.
The people, most on foot, traveled to Tawila, a town to the west of El Fasher that is currently accommodating more than 652,000 refugees.
Escalated Forces Deployment
Local inhabitants of North Kordofan on Monday described a substantial rise in both RSF and army presence across towns and villages throughout the state.
Both forces are vying for control of El Obeid, the North Kordofan regional capital and a key logistics and command hub that joins Darfur to Khartoum.
"Today, all our forces have assembled at the Bara front here," commented an RSF member in a recently distributed video message.
Regional Inhabitants Report Safety Fears
A resident of Um Smeima, located west of El Obeid, described that the amount of RSF vehicles had grown significantly since the group's takeover of El Fasher.
"We discontinued traveling to our farms, afraid of clashes," the local commented.
Another resident, 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.
International Alarms and Appeals
A senior UN official raised the alarm last week about "extensive crimes" and "ethnically motivated reprisals" by RSF in Bara.
The diplomat alerted to patterns echoing those in Darfur, where RSF militants have been charged with mass killings, sexual violence and abductions against specific ethnic communities.
The spiritual head on Sunday appealed for an quick cessation of hostilities and the establishment of humanitarian corridors in Sudan, saying that attacks on civilians and impediments to humanitarian aid "are causing 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 negotiate with the militia organization.
The ambassador further called on the world nations to designate the group as a terrorist entity.