🔗 Share this article At least 36,000 Sudanese people have fled since takeover of El Fasher to Rapid Support Forces, says UN agency Over 36,000 civilians have escaped Sudan's Kordofan region eastern part of Darfur since Saturday, as reported by the UN's immigration body. The strategic central area separating the country's Darfur regions and the Khartoum-Riverine area has during recent weeks become the latest battleground in the two-year civil war between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary group. Massive Evacuation Numbers An calculated 36,825 people evacuated from five localities in North Kordofan region between 26 October and 31 October, as reported by the International Organization for Migration. The people, most on foot, headed to Tawila, a town west of El Fasher that is currently accommodating in excess of 652,000 displaced people. Heightened Troop Concentration Citizens of North Kordofan on Monday reported a heavy surge in both RSF and army presence 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 center that links Darfur to Khartoum. "Today, all our forces have gathered at the Bara front here," commented an RSF member in a recently shared video statement. Regional Inhabitants Describe Security Concerns A local inhabitant of Um Smeima, located west of El Obeid, reported that the amount of RSF vehicles had grown considerably since the group's capture of El Fasher. "We ceased visiting our farms, concerned about confrontations," the resident explained. Another resident, who requested anonymity for security reasons, also confirmed that "there has been a big increase 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 comparable to patterns in Darfur, where RSF fighters have been charged with mass killings, sexual violence and abductions against certain racial groups. The spiritual head on Sunday appealed for an immediate ceasefire and the establishment of humanitarian corridors in Sudan, saying that attacks on civilians and obstacles to humanitarian aid "are producing 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 negotiate with the paramilitary group. The diplomat further encouraged the global community to categorize the group as a terrorist entity.