More than 36,000 Sudanese have evacuated after takeover of El Fasher to Rapid Support Forces, says UN agency

In excess of 36,000 people have fled Sudan's Kordofan territory east of Darfur beginning Saturday, according to the UN's migration organization.

The important central zone connecting the country's Darfur areas and the capital region has over recent weeks become the latest battleground in the two-year civil war between the Sudanese armed forces and the militia group.

Significant Evacuation Numbers

An calculated 36,825 people evacuated from five areas in North Kordofan region between 26 October and 31 October, as reported by the International Organization for Migration.

The civilians, mainly traveling by foot, traveled to Tawila, a town west of El Fasher that is currently sheltering more than 652,000 refugees.

Heightened Troop Concentration

Local inhabitants of North Kordofan on Monday noted a significant increase in both RSF and army concentration across urban and rural areas throughout the state.

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

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

Local Inhabitants Report Security Concerns

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

"We ceased visiting our farms, concerned about clashes," the individual explained.

Another civilian, who asked to remain unnamed for security reasons, also reported that "there has been a significant rise in army vehicles and weapons west and south of El Obeid" over the past two weeks.

International Alarms and Requests

A senior UN official expressed concerns last week about "large-scale atrocities" and "race-driven revenge attacks" by RSF in Bara.

The representative warned of patterns echoing those in Darfur, where RSF combatants have been charged with mass killings, sexual violence and abductions against specific ethnic communities.

The religious leader on Sunday appealed for an quick cessation of hostilities and the creation of aid passageways in Sudan, declaring that attacks on civilians and obstacles to humanitarian aid "are causing unacceptable suffering."

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

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

Erin Cox
Erin Cox

A software engineer and tech writer passionate about AI ethics and emerging technologies, with over a decade of industry experience.