At least 36,000 Sudanese have fled after fall of El Fasher to paramilitary group, reports UN agency
More than 36,000 civilians have fled Sudan's Kordofan area east of Darfur since Saturday, according to the UN's immigration body.
The strategic central area between the country's Darfur provinces and the capital region has during recent weeks become the latest battleground in the two-year civil war between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary forces.
Significant Exodus Numbers
An calculated 36,825 people fled five areas in North Kordofan state between 26 October and 31 October, as reported by the International Organization for Migration.
The civilians, mainly traveling by foot, headed to Tawila, a town western side of El Fasher that is currently accommodating in excess of 652,000 refugees.
Heightened Troop Concentration
Local inhabitants of North Kordofan on Monday described a substantial rise in both RSF and army presence across towns and villages throughout the state.
Both forces are competing for control of El Obeid, the North Kordofan provincial capital and a critical supply and command center that links Darfur to Khartoum.
"Today, all our forces have gathered at the Bara front here," commented an RSF member in a recently shared video declaration.
Local Citizens Describe Protection Issues
A resident of Um Smeima, located west of El Obeid, stated that the quantity of RSF vehicles had risen substantially since the group's capture of El Fasher.
"We ceased visiting our farms, concerned about fighting," the resident stated.
Another civilian, who asked to remain unnamed for security reasons, 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 Alarms and Requests
A senior UN official raised the alarm last week about "large-scale atrocities" and "race-driven revenge attacks" by RSF in Bara.
The diplomat cautioned about patterns similar to those in Darfur, where RSF fighters have been accused of mass killings, sexual violence and abductions against certain racial groups.
The church leader on Sunday called for an quick cessation of hostilities and the creation of relief routes in Sudan, stating that attacks on civilians and impediments to humanitarian aid "are creating unacceptable suffering."
Sudan's ambassador to Egypt on Sunday alleged RSF of carrying out war crimes in El Fasher and announced that the Sudanese government would not discuss with the armed faction.
The diplomat further called on the global community to classify the group as a terrorist entity.