More than 36,000 Sudanese civilians have fled the Kordofan region east of Darfur since Saturday, following the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces’ (RSF) capture of El Fasher, according to the UN migration agency. The strategic area between Darfur and the Khartoum-Riverine region has become a new battleground in Sudan’s two-year civil war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF.
Between October 26 and 31, an estimated 36,825 people fled five localities in North Kordofan, mostly on foot, seeking shelter in Tawila, a town already hosting over 652,000 displaced people. Residents reported a surge in both RSF and army presence in towns and villages, with both forces vying for control of El Obeid, the North Kordofan state capital and a key logistics hub.
Sudanese civilians Raid (RSF)
The RSF claimed control of Bara, a city north of El Obeid, and has increased its military presence in the region, prompting civilians to abandon their farms out of fear of clashes. The UN has raised alarms about large-scale atrocities and ethnically motivated reprisals by the RSF, echoing patterns seen in Darfur, including mass killings, sexual violence, and abductions against non-Arab ethnic groups.
Pope Leo appealed for an immediate ceasefire and humanitarian corridors, while Sudan’s ambassador to Egypt accused the RSF of war crimes and urged the international community to designate the group as a terrorist organization. The humanitarian crisis continues to worsen, with attacks on civilians and medical facilities, and a severe funding shortfall for aid efforts. (Source)
