At least 36,000 Sudanese have fled following fall of El Fasher to RSF, says UN agency

In excess of 36,000 civilians have fled Sudan's Kordofan territory east of Darfur since Saturday, as reported by the UN's migration agency.

The important central zone connecting the country's Darfur areas and the Khartoum-Riverine region has over recent weeks become the latest battleground in the two-year civil war between the Sudanese army and the militia group.

Massive Evacuation Figures

An calculated 36,825 people escaped five areas in North Kordofan region between 26 October and 31 October, per data from the International Organization for Migration.

The individuals, primarily walking, moved toward Tawila, a town western side of El Fasher that is currently accommodating over 652,000 refugees.

Increased Forces Deployment

Citizens of North Kordofan on Monday reported a substantial rise in both RSF and army concentration across communities throughout the state.

Both forces are vying for control of El Obeid, the North Kordofan provincial capital and a important strategic and command base that connects Darfur to Khartoum.

"Today, all our forces have converged on the Bara front here," said an RSF member in a recently circulated video declaration.

Regional Residents Report Security Concerns

A local inhabitant of Um Smeima, located west of El Obeid, described that the quantity of RSF vehicles had grown significantly since the group's takeover of El Fasher.

"We ceased visiting our farms, afraid of confrontations," the local commented.

Another inhabitant, who sought confidentiality for security reasons, also indicated that "there has been a significant rise in army vehicles and weapons west and south of El Obeid" over the last fourteen days.

World Concerns and Requests

A senior UN official expressed concerns last week about "extensive crimes" and "ethnically motivated reprisals" by RSF in Bara.

The official warned of patterns echoing those in Darfur, where RSF combatants have been accused of mass killings, sexual violence and abductions against specific ethnic communities.

The spiritual head on Sunday called for an prompt truce and the creation of aid passageways in Sudan, stating that attacks on civilians and hindrances to humanitarian aid "are producing unacceptable suffering."

Sudan's official envoy to Egypt on Sunday charged RSF of committing war crimes in El Fasher and declared that the Sudanese government would not engage with the armed faction.

The diplomat further encouraged the world nations to classify the group as a terrorist entity.