More than 36,000 Sudanese citizens have escaped following capture of El Fasher to Rapid Support Forces, reports UN agency
More than 36,000 individuals have escaped Sudan's Kordofan area east of Darfur beginning Saturday, as stated by the UN's immigration body.
The strategic central area connecting the country's Darfur provinces and the Khartoum-Riverine area has during recent weeks become the newest conflict zone in the extended civil war between the Sudanese armed forces and the paramilitary group.
Substantial Exodus Numbers
An calculated 36,825 people fled five districts in North Kordofan province between 26 October and 31 October, according to the International Organization for Migration.
The people, mainly traveling by foot, headed to Tawila, a town west of El Fasher that is currently housing in excess of 652,000 refugees.
Increased Troop Concentration
Citizens of North Kordofan on Monday described a significant increase in both RSF and army presence across towns and villages throughout the state.
Both armed factions are vying for control of El Obeid, the North Kordofan provincial capital and a critical supply and command base that joins Darfur to Khartoum.
"Today, all our forces have assembled at the Bara front here," commented an RSF member in a recently distributed video message.
Regional Inhabitants Describe Safety Fears
A local inhabitant of Um Smeima, located west of El Obeid, described that the quantity of RSF vehicles had risen considerably since the group's capture of El Fasher.
"We ceased visiting our farms, afraid of clashes," the resident stated.
Another inhabitant, who sought confidentiality for protection purposes, also confirmed that "there has been a significant rise in army vehicles and weapons west and south of El Obeid" over the previous fortnight.
International Concerns and Calls
A senior UN official raised the alarm last week about "extensive crimes" and "ethnically motivated reprisals" by RSF in Bara.
The diplomat alerted to patterns comparable to patterns in Darfur, where RSF militants have been accused of mass killings, sexual violence and abductions against specific ethnic communities.
The spiritual head on Sunday appealed for an prompt truce and the establishment of humanitarian corridors in Sudan, declaring that attacks on civilians and hindrances to humanitarian aid "are creating unacceptable suffering."
Sudan's ambassador to Egypt on Sunday accused RSF of committing war crimes in El Fasher and announced that the Sudanese government would not engage with the armed faction.
The representative further urged the world nations to classify the group as a terrorist organisation.