At least 36,000 Sudanese have fled since fall of El Fasher to paramilitary group, states UN agency
More than 36,000 people have escaped Sudan's Kordofan region eastern sector of Darfur since Saturday, as stated by the UN's immigration body.
The strategic central area between the country's Darfur regions and the Khartoum-Riverine region has during recent weeks become the newest conflict zone in the two-year civil war between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary forces.
Massive Displacement Statistics
An approximated 36,825 people evacuated from five areas in North Kordofan state between 26 October and 31 October, according to the International Organization for Migration.
The civilians, 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 Forces Deployment
Local inhabitants of North Kordofan on Monday noted a heavy surge in both RSF and army concentration across communities throughout the state.
Both military groups are competing for control of El Obeid, the North Kordofan provincial capital and a important strategic and command hub that links Darfur to Khartoum.
"Today, all our forces have gathered at the Bara front here," said an RSF member in a recently distributed video message.
Local Inhabitants Detail Safety Fears
A resident of Um Smeima, located west of El Obeid, reported that the number of RSF vehicles had risen significantly since the group's seizure of El Fasher.
"We stopped going to our farms, afraid of clashes," the individual explained.
Another inhabitant, who requested anonymity for safety concerns, also reported that "there has been a big increase in army vehicles and weapons west and south of El Obeid" over the previous fortnight.
Global Concerns and Calls
A senior UN official sounded warnings last week about "widespread abuses" and "ethnic-based retaliations" by RSF in Bara.
The representative warned of patterns similar to those in Darfur, where RSF fighters have been charged with mass killings, sexual violence and abductions against non-Arab ethnic groups.
The spiritual head on Sunday appealed for an quick cessation of hostilities and the creation of humanitarian corridors in Sudan, declaring that attacks on civilians and hindrances to humanitarian aid "are causing unacceptable suffering."
Sudan's diplomatic representative to Egypt on Sunday charged RSF of carrying out war crimes in El Fasher and stated that the Sudanese government would not negotiate with the armed faction.
The representative further encouraged the global community to categorize the group as a terrorist organisation.
