🔗 Share this article More than 36,000 Sudanese people have fled since fall of El Fasher to RSF, says UN agency Over 36,000 individuals have fled Sudan's Kordofan territory eastern part of Darfur beginning Saturday, as stated by the UN's immigration body. The key central region separating the country's Darfur areas and the capital region has over recent weeks become the latest battleground in the 24-month civil conflict between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary group. Substantial Displacement Statistics An calculated 36,825 people fled five districts in North Kordofan province between 26 October and 31 October, per data from the International Organization for Migration. The civilians, most on foot, headed to Tawila, a town west of El Fasher that is currently sheltering over 652,000 displaced people. Increased Forces Deployment Citizens of North Kordofan on Monday noted a heavy surge in both RSF and army concentration across urban and rural areas throughout the state. Both military groups are contesting control of El Obeid, the North Kordofan regional capital and a important strategic and command hub that links Darfur to Khartoum. "Today, all our forces have gathered at the Bara front here," said an RSF member in a recently circulated video message. Local Inhabitants Report Security Concerns A local inhabitant of Um Smeima, located west of El Obeid, reported that the number of RSF vehicles had increased considerably since the group's takeover of El Fasher. "We stopped going to our farms, fearing fighting," the resident explained. Another resident, who sought confidentiality for protection purposes, also indicated that "there has been a big increase in army vehicles and weapons west and south of El Obeid" over the past two weeks. World Concerns and Appeals A senior UN official expressed concerns last week about "extensive crimes" and "ethnically motivated reprisals" by RSF in Bara. The representative cautioned about patterns similar to those in Darfur, where RSF combatants have been accused of mass killings, sexual violence and abductions against non-Arab ethnic groups. The church leader on Sunday appealed for an prompt truce and the opening of humanitarian corridors in Sudan, stating that attacks on civilians and hindrances to humanitarian aid "are causing unacceptable suffering." Sudan's official envoy to Egypt on Sunday accused RSF of perpetrating war crimes in El Fasher and stated that the Sudanese government would not engage with the paramilitary group. The diplomat further encouraged the international community to classify the group as a terrorist group.