At least 36,000 Sudanese citizens have escaped since capture of El Fasher to Rapid Support Forces, says UN agency
More than 36,000 people have escaped Sudan's Kordofan territory eastern sector of Darfur since Saturday, as reported by the UN's immigration body.
The important central zone separating the country's Darfur provinces and the capital region has over recent weeks become the recent fighting area in the extended civil war between the Sudanese military forces and the paramilitary forces.
Massive Exodus Numbers
An estimated 36,825 people escaped five districts in North Kordofan state between 26 October and 31 October, according to the International Organization for Migration.
The individuals, mainly traveling by foot, headed to Tawila, a town west of El Fasher that is currently sheltering over 652,000 refugees.
Heightened Troop Concentration
Residents of North Kordofan on Monday noted a substantial rise in both RSF and army deployment across urban and rural areas throughout the state.
Both military groups are competing for control of El Obeid, the North Kordofan provincial capital and a critical supply and command base that links Darfur to Khartoum.
"Today, all our forces have gathered at the Bara front here," said an RSF member in a recently shared video declaration.
Local Inhabitants Describe Safety Fears
A resident of Um Smeima, located west of El Obeid, reported that the number of RSF vehicles had risen substantially since the group's seizure of El Fasher.
"We ceased visiting our farms, fearing fighting," the individual commented.
Another resident, who asked to remain unnamed for protection purposes, also reported that "there has been a significant rise in army vehicles and weapons west and south of El Obeid" over the past two weeks.
Global Alarms and Calls
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 comparable to patterns in Darfur, where RSF fighters have been alleged to commit mass killings, sexual violence and abductions against non-Arab ethnic groups.
The spiritual head on Sunday called for an immediate ceasefire and the opening of relief routes in Sudan, stating that attacks on civilians and hindrances to humanitarian aid "are creating unacceptable suffering."
Sudan's official envoy to Egypt on Sunday accused RSF of perpetrating war crimes in El Fasher and announced that the Sudanese government would not negotiate with the paramilitary group.
The ambassador further urged the global community to designate the group as a terrorist organisation.
