Published on 1 December 2025
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), more than 1,600 Sudanese fled the city of Keratala in South Kordofan in a single day due to increased insecurity coupled with increasing abuses by the paramilitary Rapid Support Force (RSF).
The United Nations agency said on Sunday that its Displacement Tracking Matrix field team estimated that 1,625 people left Kerata on November 28 due to deteriorating security conditions related to RSF violations.
This latest wave of displacement follows RSF attacks supported by the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) on several villages in South Kordofan, including the abduction of youths for forced recruitment.
The three Kordofan states – North, West and South – have seen weeks of fierce fighting between the army and the RSF, prompting thousands to flee, according to human rights groups.
Of Sudan’s 18 states, the RSF controls all five states in the western Darfur region, except for some northern parts of North Darfur that are under military control.
In contrast, the military holds most of the territory in the remaining 13 states in the south, north, east and center, including the capital Khartoum.
The conflict between the Sudanese army and the RSF, which began in April 2023, has killed at least 40,000 people and displaced 12 million, according to the World Health Organization.
Neighboring Chad has become a haven for thousands of people fleeing the conflict.