🔗 Share this article

More than 36,000 civilians have evacuated from Sudan's Kordofan region eastern part of Darfur starting Saturday, according to the UN's immigration body.

The key central region between the country's Darfur areas and the capital region has over recent weeks become the recent fighting area in the extended civil war between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary forces.

Significant Displacement Numbers

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

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

Heightened Troop Concentration

Citizens of North Kordofan on Monday reported a significant increase in both RSF and army concentration across communities throughout the state.

Both armed factions are contesting control of El Obeid, the North Kordofan provincial capital and a important strategic and command base that links Darfur to Khartoum.

"Today, all our forces have assembled at the Bara front here," said an RSF member in a recently shared video declaration.

Regional Citizens Describe Protection Issues

A area citizen of Um Smeima, located west of El Obeid, described that the amount of RSF vehicles had grown substantially since the group's capture of El Fasher.

"We stopped going to our farms, concerned about clashes," the individual explained.

Another civilian, who requested anonymity for protection purposes, also indicated that "there has been a significant rise in army vehicles and weapons west and south of El Obeid" over the last fourteen days.

Global Warnings and Appeals

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

The representative cautioned about patterns similar to those in Darfur, where RSF fighters have been charged with mass killings, sexual violence and abductions against non-Arab ethnic groups.

The religious leader on Sunday urged an immediate ceasefire and the opening of aid passageways in Sudan, stating that attacks on civilians and impediments to humanitarian aid "are causing unacceptable suffering."

Sudan's official envoy to Egypt on Sunday charged RSF of carrying out war crimes in El Fasher and announced that the Sudanese government would not engage with the armed faction.

The diplomat further called on the international community to classify the group as a terrorist organisation.