Khartoum, Sudan — Over 1,600 Sudanese civilians have fled the town of Kertala in South Kordofan following escalating insecurity and abuses by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), marking a single day of mass displacement.
On November 28, 2025, an estimated 1,625 individuals left Kertala due to worsening security conditions and RSF violations, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The displaced have relocated to various sites within the Dalami locality, where the overall situation remains highly volatile and tense.
This mass displacement is part of a broader pattern of flight from the Kordofan regions, which have witnessed weeks of fierce combat uprooting tens of thousands of people. The Sudanese army’s recent seizure of areas west of Abbasiya Tagali and its repulsion of an RSF attack on Kertala have exacerbated the situation. Beyond 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 conflict between the Sudanese army and the RSF, which erupted in April 2023, has claimed at least 40,000 lives and displaced 12 million, according to the World Health Organization. The RSF currently controls all five states of the Darfur region in the west, except for some northern parts of North Darfur that remain under the control of other forces.
Experts warn that the continued instability and violence could have far-reaching consequences for the region’s security and stability. The displacement of such a large number of civilians not only underscores the severity of the conflict but also the need for a peaceful resolution to prevent further humanitarian crises.
“The displacement of thousands of people in a single day is a dire indicator of the human cost of the conflict in South Kordofan,” said an official from the IOM. “It underscores the urgency for all parties to engage in meaningful dialogue to achieve a sustainable peace.”
Source: aljazeera.com
