🔗 Share this article More than 36,000 Sudanese have fled after fall of El Fasher to paramilitary group, says UN agency Over 36,000 civilians have evacuated from Sudan's Kordofan territory east of Darfur starting Saturday, according to the UN's immigration body. The important central zone between the country's Darfur areas and the Khartoum-Riverine region has during recent weeks become the recent fighting area in the 24-month civil conflict between the Sudanese army and the militia group. Significant Evacuation Figures An estimated 36,825 people fled five areas in North Kordofan province between 26 October and 31 October, according to the International Organization for Migration. The individuals, mainly traveling by foot, moved toward Tawila, a town west of El Fasher that is currently housing over 652,000 displaced people. Increased Troop Concentration Residents of North Kordofan on Monday reported a heavy surge in both RSF and army concentration across communities throughout the state. Both armed factions are contesting control of El Obeid, the North Kordofan regional capital and a critical supply and command hub that connects Darfur to Khartoum. "Today, all our forces have converged on the Bara front here," commented an RSF member in a recently distributed video message. Area Inhabitants Detail Protection Issues A local inhabitant of Um Smeima, located west of El Obeid, reported that the amount of RSF vehicles had risen considerably since the group's capture of El Fasher. "We stopped going to our farms, afraid of confrontations," the individual explained. Another resident, who requested anonymity for safety concerns, also reported that "there has been a big increase in army vehicles and weapons west and south of El Obeid" over the past two weeks. Global Warnings and Appeals A senior UN official expressed concerns last week about "widespread abuses" and "ethnically motivated reprisals" by RSF in Bara. The representative warned of patterns echoing those in Darfur, where RSF fighters have been alleged to commit mass killings, sexual violence and abductions against non-Arab ethnic groups. The religious leader on Sunday appealed for an prompt truce and the creation of humanitarian corridors in Sudan, saying that attacks on civilians and impediments to humanitarian aid "are creating unacceptable suffering." Sudan's ambassador to Egypt on Sunday accused RSF of perpetrating war crimes in El Fasher and declared that the Sudanese government would not discuss with the armed faction. The ambassador further called on the global community to classify the group as a terrorist organisation.