🔗 Share this article More than 36,000 Sudanese citizens have escaped following takeover of El Fasher to Rapid Support Forces, states UN agency In excess of 36,000 people have evacuated from Sudan's Kordofan territory eastern sector of Darfur starting Saturday, according to the UN's immigration body. The strategic central area between the country's Darfur areas and the capital region has in recent weeks become the latest battleground in the extended civil war between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary group. Significant Exodus Figures An calculated 36,825 people escaped five localities in North Kordofan region between 26 October and 31 October, according to the International Organization for Migration. The individuals, most on foot, headed to Tawila, a town west of El Fasher that is currently accommodating over 652,000 evacuated individuals. Escalated Military Presence Local inhabitants of North Kordofan on Monday described a significant increase in both RSF and army presence across urban and rural areas throughout the state. Both military groups are vying for control of El Obeid, the North Kordofan regional capital and a important strategic and command base that connects Darfur to Khartoum. "Today, all our forces have gathered at the Bara front here," said an RSF member in a recently shared video statement. Local Residents Detail Safety Fears A local inhabitant of Um Smeima, located west of El Obeid, described that the number of RSF vehicles had increased substantially since the group's takeover of El Fasher. "We ceased visiting our farms, afraid of fighting," the individual stated. Another inhabitant, who asked to remain unnamed for safety concerns, also indicated 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 Calls A senior UN official sounded warnings last week about "widespread abuses" and "ethnic-based retaliations" by RSF in Bara. The diplomat cautioned about patterns echoing those in Darfur, where RSF combatants have been accused of mass killings, sexual violence and abductions against non-Arab ethnic groups. The spiritual head on Sunday called for an prompt truce and the creation of aid passageways in Sudan, stating that attacks on civilians and hindrances to humanitarian aid "are producing unacceptable suffering." Sudan's official envoy to Egypt on Sunday charged RSF of carrying out war crimes in El Fasher and declared that the Sudanese government would not negotiate with the militia organization. The diplomat further encouraged the world nations to classify the group as a terrorist organisation.