Over 36,000 Sudanese have escaped following takeover of El Fasher to Rapid Support Forces, states UN agency

In excess of 36,000 individuals have evacuated from Sudan's Kordofan region east of Darfur since Saturday, as reported by the UN's migration agency.

The strategic central area between the country's Darfur areas and the Khartoum-Riverine region has over recent weeks become the latest battleground in the 24-month civil conflict between the Sudanese military forces and the paramilitary forces.

Significant Exodus Statistics

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

The people, most on foot, traveled to Tawila, a town to the west of El Fasher that is currently housing over 652,000 refugees.

Escalated Troop Concentration

Local inhabitants of North Kordofan on Monday described a substantial rise in both RSF and army deployment across towns and villages throughout the state.

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

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

Area Citizens Report Security Concerns

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

"We ceased visiting our farms, fearing confrontations," the local stated.

Another resident, 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.

World Concerns and Calls

A senior UN official raised the alarm last week about "extensive crimes" and "race-driven revenge attacks" by RSF in Bara.

The diplomat alerted to patterns echoing those in Darfur, where RSF fighters have been alleged to commit mass killings, sexual violence and abductions against specific ethnic communities.

The church leader on Sunday urged an immediate ceasefire and the creation of aid passageways in Sudan, saying that attacks on civilians and impediments to humanitarian aid "are producing unacceptable suffering."

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

The diplomat further encouraged the international community to designate the group as a terrorist entity.

Judy Clark
Judy Clark

A philosopher and statistician who writes about the intersection of luck, probability, and human experience, with a background in behavioral science.