KHARTOUM, Sudan / ISTANBUL 

At least 970 Sudanese civilians were displaced in a single day from a village in Umm Baru locality in North Darfur due to worsening insecurity, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Sunday.

In a statement, the UN agency said field teams estimated that 970 people had fled the village of Mizbat in Umm Baru on Nov. 1 as a result of escalating violence.

The displaced people have moved to various locations within Umm Baru, and the situation remains tense and highly volatile, it added.

The IOM warned of possible additional displacement as insecurity continues in Umm Baru, located 300 kilometers northwest of El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state.

On Oct. 26, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) seized control of El-Fasher and committed “massacres” against civilians, according to local and international organizations, amid warnings that the assault could entrench the geographical partition of Sudan.

On Wednesday, RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti) admitted that “violations” had occurred by his forces in El-Fasher, claiming that investigation committees had been formed.

Since April 15, 2023, the Sudanese army and the RSF have been locked in a war that regional and international mediations have failed to end. The conflict has killed 20,000 victims and displaced more than 15 million as refugees and internally displaced persons, according to UN and local reports.