Has the army turned the page on control of western Sudan? | Sudan war News
Sudan’s Military Repels RSF Attacks in Strategic Darfur Region
Khartoum, Sudan — The Sudanese military has successfully thwarted a series of offensives by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group in the western Darfur region. In recent days, government-aligned forces reported territorial gains in a counteroffensive that has shifted the dynamics of the ongoing conflict.
In early August, Sudanese troops and their allies fended off two consecutive attacks by the RSF in the key area of Bir Saliba, located approximately 30 kilometers north of el-Geneina, the capital of West Darfur state. This area is considered vital as it represents the RSF’s last stronghold in the vicinity.
To further undermine RSF capabilities, government forces have targeted supply lines by taking control of crossings and desert routes near the Chad border. This strategy is seen as a potential prelude to intensified conflict centered around el-Geneina.
The Bir Saliba region holds significant strategic value, with a network of roads connecting the state capital to the northwest, including Jebel Moon and Kulbus, according to General Bahr al-Din Adam Karama, the governor of West Darfur.
Attempt to Encircle Bir Saliba
Darfur Regional Governor Minni Arko Minnawi announced the death of Major General Mahdi Adam, a prominent RSF commander, amid recent fighting. While the RSF has yet to confirm his death, it could represent a critical setback for the organization in the western front.
Minnawi claimed that the Joint Force of the Armed Struggle Movements, a coalition of former Darfur rebel groups allied with the Sudanese army, successfully repelled an RSF attempt to encircle Bir Saliba. The RSF launched assaults from multiple directions but ultimately failed to breach the Joint Force’s defenses.
“The RSF bet on the element of surprise, but they received another lesson,” said Minnawi.
Battlefield Gains
Major Mutawakkil Ali Wakil Abu-Ja, the Joint Force’s spokesman, reported that the Sudanese military destroyed over 38 combat vehicles and captured 27 others during the operations. He also indicated that the RSF commander in the sector was killed and that many RSF fighters fled the battlefield, leaving their casualties behind.
Abu-Ja noted efforts are ongoing to exert further pressure on the RSF, particularly ahead of what he termed a decisive military encounter for el-Geneina.
Air strikes targeting an RSF convoy near the Chad border have exacerbated the group’s isolation and disrupted key supply routes, according to Major General Othman Siraj. Continuous pressure from multiple fronts is aiding the prevention of RSF regrouping and setting the stage for what may become a final confrontation for el-Geneina.
Fadel Kaya, an adviser with the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army – Transitional Council (SLM/TC), highlighted that the Joint Force’s recent victories suggest a shift in the RSF’s strategy from territorial expansion to retreat.
Drone Warfare
In a related development, the RSF has reportedly begun utilizing drones in North Kordofan state to compensate for diminished control over critical supply routes linking Omdurman and el-Obeid, areas recaptured by the military in late July. Amin Ishaq Zakaria, a spokesperson for SLM/TC, remarked that increased drone usage indicates the RSF’s current operational difficulties.
The International Organization for Migration reported that recent escalations in conflict have resulted in the displacement of over 6,650 individuals from 11 villages in the Sirba region. Since fighting erupted in April 2023, more than 13 million people have been displaced, according to United Nations estimates.
The RSF, along with its allies, has also established a rival administration known as the Tasis government, opposing the Sudanese government operating from Port Sudan.
Efforts to reach RSF and Tasis representatives for comment on the ongoing conflict in Bir Saliba were unsuccessful at the time of publication.
