Sudan sees mass civilian flight as conflict intensifies in Kordofan

A surge in violence across Sudan's South Kordofan state has triggered a mass exodus of civilians, with more than 1,600 individuals fleeing the town of Kertala within just 24 hours. According to the International Organization for Migration, the displacement on November 28 was a direct response to worsening security conditions and increasing violations committed by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Tracking the Displacement

The IOM, using its displacement tracking matrix, estimated that 1,625 people were forced to abandon their homes in Kertala. The UN agency indicated that those fleeing have relocated to various sites within the Dalami locality, but it warned that the overall situation in the area remains highly volatile and tense. This latest incident is part of a broader pattern of flight from the Kordofan regions, where weeks of fierce combat have uprooted tens of thousands of people.

Military Clashes and Civilian Abuses

The mass displacement follows a period of intensified military engagement. Witnesses reported that the Sudanese army seized areas west of Abbasiya Tagali after clashes with the RSF and its ally, a faction of the SPLM-North. Just days prior, the army had repelled an RSF attack on Kertala itself. Beyond the frontline fighting, the RSF and its allies have been accused of attacking multiple villages and abducting young people for forced recruitment, further driving civilians to flee.

The National Scale of the Conflict

The fighting in South Kordofan is a microcosm of the national conflict that has ravaged Sudan since April 2023. The RSF has consolidated its control over the five states of the Darfur region in the west, while the national army holds most of the remaining 13 states, including the capital, Khartoum. The human cost of the war is staggering, with the World Health Organization reporting at least 40,000 deaths and a staggering 12 million people displaced from their homes.