Over 36,000 Sudanese citizens have evacuated after capture of El Fasher to RSF, says UN agency
In excess of 36,000 civilians have escaped Sudan's Kordofan area east of Darfur starting Saturday, as reported by the UN's migration agency.
The important central zone between the country's Darfur regions and the Khartoum-Riverine region has during recent weeks become the recent fighting area in the extended civil war between the Sudanese military forces and the militia group.
Substantial Exodus Numbers
An calculated 36,825 people fled five localities in North Kordofan state between 26 October and 31 October, according to the International Organization for Migration.
The civilians, primarily walking, headed to Tawila, a town to the west of El Fasher that is currently accommodating in excess of 652,000 refugees.
Increased Forces Deployment
Residents of North Kordofan on Monday noted a substantial rise in both RSF and army concentration across towns and villages throughout the state.
Both armed factions are contesting control of El Obeid, the North Kordofan regional capital and a important strategic and command center that links Darfur to Khartoum.
"Today, all our forces have converged on the Bara front here," said an RSF member in a recently circulated video statement.
Area Inhabitants Describe Protection Issues
A resident of Um Smeima, located west of El Obeid, stated that the number of RSF vehicles had grown significantly since the group's takeover of El Fasher.
"We stopped going to our farms, concerned about clashes," the local stated.
Another inhabitant, who requested anonymity for protection purposes, also confirmed that "there has been a substantial growth in army vehicles and weapons west and south of El Obeid" over the past two weeks.
World Warnings and Calls
A senior UN official expressed concerns last week about "extensive crimes" and "ethnic-based retaliations" by RSF in Bara.
The official alerted to patterns comparable to patterns in Darfur, where RSF fighters have been charged with mass killings, sexual violence and abductions against certain racial 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 obstacles to humanitarian aid "are creating unacceptable suffering."
Sudan's ambassador to Egypt on Sunday accused RSF of perpetrating war crimes in El Fasher and announced that the Sudanese government would not discuss with the militia organization.
The ambassador further urged the world nations to categorize the group as a terrorist group.
