🔗 Share this article More than 36,000 Sudanese people have escaped after capture of El Fasher to Rapid Support Forces, states UN agency Over 36,000 individuals have escaped Sudan's Kordofan territory eastern sector of Darfur beginning Saturday, as reported by the UN's immigration body. The important central zone connecting the country's Darfur areas and the Khartoum-Riverine area has during recent weeks become the recent fighting area in the two-year civil war between the Sudanese armed forces and the militia group. Substantial Displacement Statistics An calculated 36,825 people fled five areas in North Kordofan state between 26 October and 31 October, as reported by the International Organization for Migration. The people, most on foot, traveled to Tawila, a town western side of El Fasher that is currently accommodating over 652,000 evacuated individuals. Escalated Military Presence Citizens of North Kordofan on Monday described a heavy surge in both RSF and army concentration across towns and villages throughout the state. Both forces are contesting control of El Obeid, the North Kordofan state capital and a key logistics and command center that joins Darfur to Khartoum. "Today, all our forces have gathered at the Bara front here," commented an RSF member in a recently circulated video statement. Local Residents Describe Protection Issues A local inhabitant of Um Smeima, located west of El Obeid, reported that the quantity of RSF vehicles had grown significantly since the group's seizure of El Fasher. "We ceased visiting our farms, afraid of clashes," the local stated. Another civilian, who sought confidentiality for protection purposes, also reported that "there has been a significant rise in army vehicles and weapons west and south of El Obeid" over the previous fortnight. Global Concerns and Appeals A senior UN official expressed concerns last week about "large-scale atrocities" and "ethnically motivated reprisals" by RSF in Bara. The diplomat cautioned about patterns comparable to patterns in Darfur, where RSF fighters have been accused of mass killings, sexual violence and abductions against specific ethnic communities. The church leader on Sunday called for an quick cessation of hostilities and the creation of relief routes in Sudan, saying that attacks on civilians and impediments to humanitarian aid "are creating unacceptable suffering." Sudan's diplomatic representative to Egypt on Sunday alleged RSF of committing war crimes in El Fasher and stated that the Sudanese government would not discuss with the paramilitary group. The representative further called on the global community to categorize the group as a terrorist entity.