Over 36,000 Sudanese people have escaped following capture of El Fasher to paramilitary group, reports UN agency
In excess of 36,000 individuals have evacuated from Sudan's Kordofan region east of Darfur since Saturday, as reported by the UN's migration agency.
The strategic central area between the country's Darfur regions and the capital region has in recent weeks become the newest conflict zone in the extended civil war between the Sudanese military forces and the paramilitary group.
Substantial Evacuation Numbers
An calculated 36,825 people evacuated from five districts 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 western side of El Fasher that is currently housing in excess of 652,000 refugees.
Escalated Troop Concentration
Citizens of North Kordofan on Monday noted 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 state capital and a key logistics and command center that links Darfur to Khartoum.
"Today, all our forces have converged on the Bara front here," commented an RSF member in a recently distributed video statement.
Area Inhabitants Report Security Concerns
A local inhabitant of Um Smeima, located west of El Obeid, described that the number of RSF vehicles had grown substantially since the group's capture of El Fasher.
"We ceased visiting our farms, concerned about fighting," the resident stated.
Another civilian, who sought confidentiality for safety concerns, 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.
World Alarms and Calls
A senior UN official sounded warnings last week about "large-scale atrocities" and "ethnic-based retaliations" by RSF in Bara.
The representative alerted to patterns echoing those in Darfur, where RSF fighters have been alleged to commit mass killings, sexual violence and abductions against specific ethnic communities.
The church leader on Sunday urged an prompt truce and the creation of relief routes in Sudan, declaring that attacks on civilians and impediments to humanitarian aid "are causing unacceptable suffering."
Sudan's official envoy to Egypt on Sunday charged RSF of perpetrating war crimes in El Fasher and declared that the Sudanese government would not engage with the armed faction.
The diplomat further urged the world nations to categorize the group as a terrorist group.
