Over 1,600 Civilians Flee South Kordofan Town Amid Escalating RSF Abuses

Over 1,600 Civilians Flee South Kordofan Town Amid Escalating RSF Abuses
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More than 1,600 Sudanese civilians fled the town of Kertala in South Kordofan in a single day as security conditions deteriorated, Al Jazeera reported. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Sunday that its Displacement Tracking Matrix teams estimated that 1,625 people left the area on 28 November due to rising violations attributed to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The displacement follows a series of RSF-led assaults, carried out with support from the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), targeting villages across South Kordofan. These attacks have reportedly included the abduction of young people for forced recruitment.

The three Kordofan states—North, West and South—have witnessed intense clashes between the Sudanese army and the RSF in recent weeks, displacing tens of thousands, according to human rights organisations. Across Sudan, control remains divided. The RSF dominates all five states of the Darfur region, apart from some northern parts of North Darfur where the army retains authority.

The military controls most territory in the country’s remaining 13 states, including Khartoum. The conflict, which erupted in April 2023, has killed at least 40,000 people and forced 12 million from their homes, according to the World Health Organization. Many fleeing the violence have sought refuge in neighbouring Chad, which continues to receive large numbers of displaced civilians.