International Organization for Migration: More than 36,000 Sudanese flee from North Kordofan State

SadaNews - The International Organization for Migration announced that more than 36,000 Sudanese civilians have fled from towns and villages in North Kordofan State after a week of the Rapid Support Forces taking control of the city of El Fasher in the neighboring Darfur region.

In recent weeks, clashes between the army and the Rapid Support Forces in Darfur have extended to the Kordofan area.

The United Nations-affiliated organization reported in a statement late Sunday to Monday that 36,825 people fled from five towns and villages in North Kordofan between October 26 and 31.

Residents on Monday spoke of a significant increase in the presence of Rapid Support Forces and army troops in cities and villages throughout North Kordofan.

The two parties engaged in the bloody conflict since April 2023 are vying for control of Al-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan, which is a key logistical and command center linking Darfur to Khartoum, and it also has an airport.

One Rapid Support Forces member in a video circulated by the group late Sunday stated, "Today, all forces engaged in the Barra axis," referring to the town located north of Al-Obeid. The Rapid Support Forces announced their control over Barra last week.

Suleiman Babaker, who lives in Um Sumima located west of Al-Obeid, reported that "the number of Rapid Support Forces vehicles has increased" in the area after their control of El Fasher, which was the last major stronghold of the army in Darfur.

He confirmed, "We stopped going to our farms out of fear of clashes."

Another resident, who requested anonymity for security reasons, also spoke of a "significant increase in army vehicles and weapons east and south of Al-Obeid" over the past two weeks.

Last week, the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Africa, Martha Pobee, reported on "widespread atrocities committed by the Rapid Support Forces in Barra in North Kordofan," referring to "retaliatory acts against so-called 'collaborators' often driven by ethnic motivations."

She warned against a repeat of the Darfur scenario where the Rapid Support Forces have been accused of committing widespread killings, sexual violence, and abductions targeting non-Arab populations after the fall of El Fasher into their hands.

The conflict has so far resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and displaced approximately 12 million people, leading to the largest crises of displacement and hunger in the world.

On Monday, the Office of the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court warned that the atrocities committed in the Sudanese city of El Fasher may constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The prosecutor's office expressed "deep concern" regarding reports coming from El Fasher speaking of mass killings, rape, and other crimes suspected to have been committed.

The statement read, "These atrocities are part of a broader pattern of violence that has struck the entire Darfur region since April 2023."