Over 36,000 Sudanese citizens have escaped since capture of El Fasher to paramilitary group, says UN agency
More than 36,000 individuals have escaped Sudan's Kordofan territory eastern sector of Darfur starting Saturday, as reported by the UN's migration agency.
The key central region separating the country's Darfur regions and the capital region has during recent weeks become the latest battleground in the extended civil war between the Sudanese army and the militia group.
Substantial Exodus Figures
An approximated 36,825 people escaped five districts in North Kordofan state between 26 October and 31 October, per data from the International Organization for Migration.
The individuals, most on foot, traveled to Tawila, a town western side of El Fasher that is currently accommodating more than 652,000 evacuated individuals.
Heightened Military Presence
Residents 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 provincial capital and a critical supply and command center that joins Darfur to Khartoum.
"Today, all our forces have assembled at the Bara front here," said an RSF member in a recently circulated video statement.
Regional Inhabitants Describe Security Concerns
A local inhabitant of Um Smeima, located west of El Obeid, stated that the amount of RSF vehicles had grown substantially since the group's capture of El Fasher.
"We stopped going to our farms, fearing confrontations," the individual commented.
Another resident, who sought confidentiality for security reasons, also confirmed that "there has been a substantial growth in army vehicles and weapons west and south of El Obeid" over the last fourteen days.
World Warnings and Appeals
A senior UN official sounded warnings last week about "large-scale atrocities" and "ethnic-based retaliations" by RSF in Bara.
The representative cautioned about patterns similar to those in Darfur, where RSF combatants have been charged with mass killings, sexual violence and abductions against specific ethnic communities.
The religious leader on Sunday called for an immediate ceasefire and the creation of aid passageways in Sudan, declaring that attacks on civilians and impediments to humanitarian aid "are creating unacceptable suffering."
Sudan's official envoy to Egypt on Sunday alleged RSF of carrying out war crimes in El Fasher and stated that the Sudanese government would not engage with the militia organization.
The diplomat further urged the world nations to categorize the group as a terrorist group.