🔗 Share this article

In excess of 36,000 civilians have fled Sudan's Kordofan area eastern part of Darfur starting Saturday, as reported by the UN's migration agency.

The important central zone between the country's Darfur regions and the capital region has over recent weeks become the latest battleground in the 24-month civil conflict between the Sudanese armed forces and the militia group.

Significant Evacuation Figures

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

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

Heightened Forces Deployment

Local inhabitants of North Kordofan on Monday described a significant increase in both RSF and army deployment across communities throughout the state.

Both armed factions are competing for control of El Obeid, the North Kordofan provincial capital and a key logistics and command center that connects Darfur to Khartoum.

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

Area Citizens Report Safety Fears

A area citizen of Um Smeima, located west of El Obeid, stated that the quantity of RSF vehicles had risen considerably since the group's capture of El Fasher.

"We discontinued traveling to our farms, concerned about confrontations," the resident commented.

Another civilian, who sought confidentiality for protection purposes, 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.

International Warnings and Requests

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

The representative alerted to patterns similar to those in Darfur, where RSF combatants have been alleged to commit mass killings, sexual violence and abductions against certain racial groups.

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

Sudan's ambassador to Egypt on Sunday charged RSF of committing war crimes in El Fasher and stated that the Sudanese government would not engage with the paramilitary group.

The representative further encouraged the international community to classify the group as a terrorist organisation.