More than 36,000 Sudanese have fled following takeover of El Fasher to RSF, reports UN agency

More than 36,000 people have evacuated from Sudan's Kordofan area eastern part of Darfur beginning Saturday, as stated by the UN's immigration body.

The important central zone separating the country's Darfur provinces and the Khartoum-Riverine region has in recent weeks become the recent fighting area in the two-year civil war between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary group.

Significant Exodus Statistics

An approximated 36,825 people escaped five localities in North Kordofan state between 26 October and 31 October, as reported by the International Organization for Migration.

The people, most on foot, moved toward Tawila, a town west of El Fasher that is currently sheltering over 652,000 refugees.

Heightened Forces Deployment

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

Both military groups are competing for control of El Obeid, the North Kordofan state capital and a critical supply and command base that links Darfur to Khartoum.

"Today, all our forces have gathered at the Bara front here," stated an RSF member in a recently shared video message.

Regional Inhabitants Report Safety Fears

A local inhabitant of Um Smeima, located west of El Obeid, reported that the amount of RSF vehicles had increased substantially since the group's seizure of El Fasher.

"We discontinued traveling to our farms, fearing fighting," the individual stated.

Another resident, who asked to remain unnamed for safety concerns, 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.

Global Concerns and Requests

A senior UN official expressed concerns last week about "widespread abuses" and "ethnic-based retaliations" by RSF in Bara.

The diplomat alerted to patterns comparable to patterns in Darfur, where RSF militants have been charged with mass killings, sexual violence and abductions against non-Arab ethnic groups.

The church leader on Sunday urged an quick cessation of hostilities and the establishment of humanitarian corridors in Sudan, saying that attacks on civilians and obstacles 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 declared that the Sudanese government would not negotiate with the paramilitary group.

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