January 30, 2025
SURGE IN RSF VIOLATIONS AGAINST WOMEN IN AL-JEZIRA …by RSF including killing, injuring, rape and abduction. 50 women visited health centres last week complaining of abortion complications due to violence exerted on them…. dozens of women were held in al-Talbab subjected to gross violations and a woman doctor was kidnapped from Al-Kamleen Hosp. 30-40 wounded including women and children are in a health centre suffering inhumane revengeful assaults in al-Magarit and al-Bashagra. Some…sustained deliberate knife wounds and fingers amputation. A number of women…subjected to sexual violence left for Cairo to receive medical treatment and legal advice. In another incident a woman was killed and others injured when a RSF patrol open fire on them directly while they were fleeing….civilians, women in particular, bear the brunt of the war facing killing, torture, rape, hunger and displacement as well as destruction of civil objects including health facilities. Both warring parties have been accused with human rights violations…. Al Taghyeer
January 28
SAF CONVERGING ITS ARMIES ADVANCING FROM OMDURMAN WITH KHARTOUM/ BAHRI. …pushing back the RSF attempt to take over al-Fashir, N Darfur, Khartoum Refinery in Al-Jail and the military industrial complex. Al-Baraa Ibn Malik Brigade announced arrival of forces to Gen Command with forces coming from Bahri to the Signal Corps south of the city. Al Taghyeer
ARMY GAINED FURTHER GROUND IN BATTLE FOR KHARTOUM, claiming control of key sites in Bahri including Shambat and Old Bahri. Jan 25, the army announced it completed the 2nd phase of its offensive, linking forces from Omdurman and N Bahri with troops in southern Khartoum/Bahri: “The Armed Forces are advancing on Bashir Towers and Al-Baraha Hosp axes, clearing them of the militia that used the hospital as a military base after looting and destroying it.” Sudan Tribune
AL BURHAN VOWED HE WOULD NEVER NEGOTIATE WITH RSF. He further rejected return to power for those who have collaborated with the RSF emphasising that Sudan would be free of the rebels shortly. Al Taghyeer
ATTACKS ON CRITICAL CIVILIAN INFRASTRUCTURE SURGE. Intl Comm of the Red Cross warned that surging attacks…severely disrupted access to clean water and electricity for millions across the war-ravaged country. “We are witnessing a disturbing pattern of attacks on critical civilian infrastructure so essential for people’s survival,” Dorsa Nazemi-Salman. “We urgently call on all parties to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law and their Jeddah commitments and protect vital
facilities….disruptions to electricity and water supply have dire ripple effects on critical healthcare, as electricity and water are vital for proper functioning of hospitals. Lack of clean water undermines public health, significantly heightening the risk of cholera outbreaks and other health crises.”…essential infrastructure like power plants and water facilities are considered under international humanitarian law as civilian objects that must be protected from direct attacks and hostilities. Al Taghyeer
PROSECUTOR OF ICC…SEEKING ARREST WARRANTS FOR THOSE ACCUSED OF ATROCITIES IN W DARFUR. Karim Khan told UN Sec Council crimes being committed in Darfur “as we speak and daily” are being used as a weapon of war. Khan previously said there are grounds to believe both the army and RSF may be committing war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide….“very clear echoes” in the current conflict of what happened then: “the pattern of crimes, perpetrators, parties, tracked very closely with the same protagonists, the same targeted groups as existed in 2003. It’s the same communities, a new generation suffering the same hell endured by other generations of Darfuris, and this is tragic.” Sierra Leone…denounced the persistent impunity since 2003 and urged Sudan to cooperate fully with the court to protect victims: “The current violence demonstrates the urgent need for accountability for past and present crimes. We call on Sudanese authorities to fulfill their obligations…by cooperating fully with the ICC,” Freetown Permanent Rep to the UN. Redaction News/AfricaNews
January 26
BOMBING BY RSF OF MATERNITY WARD OF SAUDI HOSP IN EL FASHER KILLED 70 PEOPLE and injured dozens, wiping out the city’s only fully operational health facility. The attack…destroyed the emergency dept, leaving the city without its only fully operational health facility. Saudi Hosp, a lifeline for obstetrics, paediatrics and surgery, has been repeatedly shelled. Darfur’s gov Minawi condemned the bombing as “extermination,” including women and children. RSF’s multi-pronged attack on El Fasher struck Abu Shouk Displacement Camp, killing 8 and destroying homes. The attack prompted fierce resistance from SAF. The violence prompted Ayoub Nahar, RSF advisor, to resign, citing the force’s deviation and targeting of civilians: “Indiscriminate shelling in Zamzam Camp, Abu Shouk Camp and other camps has killed innocent civilians”. WHO condemned the attack as “horrific.” Saudi Arabia and Gulf Coop Council labelled the bombing a “flagrant violation of international humanitarian law”. Qatar echoed calls for protecting health workers and civilians. Dabanga
January 25
70 CIVILIANS KILLED IN RSF DRONE STRIKE ON SAUDI HOSP. Among those killed are patients…waiting inside the emergency room. This was the 14th direct attack against this hospital by RSF….This time the attack targeted the only section that survived previous strikes, said Gov Minawe: “They exterminated all patients, more than 70 of them, mostly women and children”
23 January
ARMY AND RSF FIGHTING NEAR AL JILI OIL REFINERY, KHARTOUM. The army reached the strategically important refinery following a multipronged offensive with…direct clashes with RSF. Witnesses reported plumes of smoke covering the sky over vast areas of Khartoum with social media activists…showing the army seizing control of the entrance to town. “In the past few days, the army has been launching a serious offensive, inching their way towards the refinery,” Hiba Morgan, Khartoum. “It’s obvious the army is trying to regain control, trying to take as much territory as possible…but is yet to gain control of the refinery.” Fighting was also reported in el-Fasher, with tensions escalated earlier this week after RSF issued a 48-hr ultimatum to Sudan’s army to leave the city. Following the expiry of the ultimatum, the army carried out air raids on RSF positions.…
16 SUDANESE NATIONALS KILLED LAST WEEK WHEN RIOTS ERUPTED ACROSS SOUTH SUDAN INCLUDING THE CAPITAL JUBA, in retaliation for the alleged involvement of Sudan’s military and allied groups in the Gezira killings.
ARMY CARRIES OUT ETHNIC KILLINGS IN GEZIRA STATE. In the early morning of Jan 10, Majd Montesser woke up to…army forces raiding his village Taiba and lighting homes on fire. As residents fled and screamed, army Land Cruisers weaved around tented huts to shoot and kill young men and the elderly. Most victims were hit with machine gun rounds to the head and chest, others burned to death:“They killed 13 people in their homes and 4 people fleeing. They were all killed in such a savage way.” Jan 12, the army’s recapture of Wad Madani, capital of Gezira, finally gave civilians some hope peace and stability would return. For more than a year, civilians in Gezira lived under the RSF’s brutal rule. Civilians and rights groups accused RSF of frequently carrying out extrajudicial killings and acts of sexual violence, prompting many to welcome the army as “liberators” when they entered Wad Madani. However, reports soon emerged that army units were carrying out ethnic killings across the state. …army regularly treated civilians from these regions as RSF collaborators or sympathisers. The army’s ethnic profiling led to a new cycle of mass killing…and expulsion of vulnerable communities…. Al Jazeera’s authentication agency verified 4 graphic videos which show men in army camouflage celebrating killing of dozens of young men in civilian clothes or abusing civilians. 2 videos appear to capture the same incident: Soldiers standing over dozens of bodies in blood-soaked clothes, none of whom appear to be combatants. …local monitors believe that dozens perhaps hundreds have been executed so far. “The crimes happening right now are really dangerous. It’s mass killing and ethnic cleansing,” Jafar Mohammedin, local activist who fled the country. According to the UN, during the army’s drive to recapture Wad Madani, it attacked residents of Kanabi…mainly non-Arabs from Darfur, Nuba Mtns and So Sudan. These regions were traditionally denied economic opportunities due to state neglect, systematic discrimination and war, according to Suliman Baldo, Sudan Transparency & Policy Tracker. He noted that for more than a century, young men and women were exploited from these regions to pick cotton and grow crops in Gezira, one of the largest irrigation schemes in the world. Young men from So Sudan came to search for work even after the region split from Sudan…. “The irrigation scheme is a large mechanised farm that needs an abundance of manual labour and for more than 100 years there have been migrant workers from W Sudan and Nuba Mtns brought in to work.” The army has inceasingly relied on a number of militias to spearhead its advances. Sudan Shield Forces and al-Baraa bin Malik Battalion led extrajudicial killings against unarmed men. The Shield Forces are headed by Keikal, former RSF commander who defected to the army. While with the RSF, he is accused of overseeing…kidnappings for ransom, mass looting, deliberate killing of farmers and rape….“Keikal has a militia from east Gezira and they committed violations against civilians when he was with the RSF and now he is doing it again as part of the army,” Mohamed Ahmed, local monitor. Al-Baraa bin Malik militia tied to Sudan’s Islamic movement, the main part of al-Bashir’s state apparatus for 30 years committed some of the worst abuses so far, according to local monitors and videos various news agencies, including Al Jazeera’s verification unit. In 1 video, verified by Center for Info Resilience,…fighters wearing the insignia of bin Malik and other army units tie a rope around a man’s mouth and push him off the Hantoub Bridge. They then spray his body with machine gun fire…. “These are very disturbing developments, but it only reminds us of the nature of the army. The army has to do some soul-searching in regards to its own history of killing civilians….” Dalia Abdelmonem, political commentator. “This is a perfect opportunity for the army to show it is a bonafied army and it will only target the RSF and not civilians and will no longer abuse, torture or commit summary executions. It has to say, ‘We will put a stop to all of that.’”
RSF demonstrated little ability to govern, with fighters looting, kidnapping for ransom and generating chaos, according to Intl Crisis Group. Many Sudanese…view RSF as an existential threat to the state, despite their acute concerns and traditional opposition towards the army, which stems from its poor human rights record and refusal to fully surrender power to a civilian authority…in 2019. While the army regained popularity during the war, Baldo is not optimistic an investigation will lead to accountability for atrocities in Wad Madani since human rights violations are a systemic issue in the army. He referenced an incident in Feb when army units beheaded 2 civilians they perceived to be RSF collaborators based on their ethnic appearance. The army units filmed themselves brandishing 2 heads while jeering and cheering.
“If commanders who oversaw the killings in Kanabi held to account, then I will believe [an investigation] happened. I’ll believe it if I see the results.” The army’s killing of So Sudanese migrant workers in Kanabi prompted riots and attacks on Sudanese nationals in So Sudan. 16 Sudanese nationals have died so far in reprisal attacks. Despite the atrocities and human rights abuses committed by the army, many civilians rely on it to beat back the RSF, which has committed even more abuses. Earlier this month, the US determined RSF committed genocide non-Arab Masalit tribe in W Darfur. RSF appears to be mobilising a counter-offensive from northern Gezira state, where they killed dozens of civilians in recent days. In al-Hasahisa, 34 mi from Wad Madani, RSF mobilised dozens of fighters to prepare for a battle against the army, according to Ahmed Yasser, Resistance Comm. Yasser said the RSF killed 40 people in the village and confiscated Starlink satellite internet services, which allows civilians to access the internet when network service is not available, to prevent civilians from speaking out about abuses. “I have not been able to reach my family, and I do not know if they are alive or dead,” Yasser told Al Jazeera, from Cairo where he now lives. “The RSF kidnapped entire families and are now demanding ransoms,” Yasser acknowledged the army is continuing to go after perceived RSF sympathisers in Wad Madani and not moving north to fight the RSF and protect besieged civilians. “Some people are wondering why the army is not moving a finger [to head up north]. The army does not care about protecting civilians. There are many events before today which indicate that.”
January 22
SUDANESE OFFICIALS AND GOVERNMENT SOURCES REVEALED EFFORTS TO TRACK AND RECOVER STOLEN ARTIFACTS from several museums, particularly those that passed through So Sudan or across its borders. Dabanga PREGNANT WOMEN IN SHARG EL NIL LIVING TERRIFYING NIGHTMARE THAT THREATENS THEIR LIVES and the lives of their unborn children. The lack of medical services has led to a rise in maternal and foetal mortality rates, alongside serious, life-threatening health complications. The closure of hospitals and obstetrics and gynaecology centres has caused an alarming increase in maternal deaths and obstructed labour cases. This is compounded by a lack of personnel, theft and plundering and repeated shelling and targeted attacks. A lack of ambulance services leaves families to resort to dangerous methods to transport patients in emergencies. Dabanga
January 20
US TREASURY…SANCTIONS EL BURHAN. This follows the designation of Hemedti to the sanctions list. Treasury accused SAF…of deadly attacks on civilians, including airstrikes on protected sites such as schools, markets and hospitals. SAF has been charged with deliberately denying humanitarian access and using food as a weapon of war. …identifies Burhan as a foreign individual leading an entity that threatens Sudan’s peace, security and stability. Dec 2023, Blinken determined SAF members had committed war crimes. US accused SAF and RSF of creating one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, citing the declaration of famine in 5 areas of Sudan: “SAF has violated international humanitarian law and ignored commitments made in the…Jeddah Declaration. SAF’s use of food deprivation as a tactic of war and deliberate obstruction of emergency humanitarian aid have contributed to the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. El Burhan has obstructed the advancement of peace, refusing to participate in international ceasefire talks…hindering the political transition to civilian government.” Dep Treasury Secy Adeyemo: “The US will continue to use our tools disrupt the flow of weapons into Sudan and hold leaders accountable for their blatant disregard of civilian lives. …Burhan has opposed a return to civilian governance…refused to participate in international peace talks to end the fighting, choosing war over good-faith negotiation and de-escalation.” US accused…RSF of committing genocide and imposed sanctions on its leader ‘Hemedti’ Dagalo. OFAC targeted Defense Industries System, SAF’s main procurement arm,…under sanctions since June 2023. The latest sanctions target Ahmed Abdallah, Sudanese-Ukrainian official, and Portex Trade Ltd, controlled by Abdallah. Abdallah coordinated purchase of Iranian-made drones from an Azerbaijani defence co for delivery to Sudan. …OFAC sanctioned Mirghani Idris Suleiman, Sudanese Defence Industries System. Dabanga
KHARTOUM/N BAHRI 90 CIVILIANS KILLED SINCE THURSDAY, as violence between SAF and RSF intensifies, spreading from Khartoum to N Darfur and White Nile states. Dabanga
LACK OF MAINTENANCE OF JEBEL AULIA DAM THREATENS… The thousands of people who lost their mud brick homes in Elgezira Aba…last year due to flooding of the White Nile are not the only victims of the high-water level, mainly caused by lack of operations of the dam, as farming in White Nile state is also seriously affected. Experts warn more flooding if the dam is not maintained soon. 16,000 newly displaced are living rough in a makeshift camp outside this large island in the White Nile, 250k south of
Khartoum. The needs are high, and deceases are spreading. Other residents of the island and those who earlier sought refuge there from the violence…are suffering from diseases, such as cholera and malaria. The only hospital is manned by 1 doctor and is in dire need of medicines. The large island with a population of 105,000 was among the most at risk after water level rose 4 meters in Nov. Sudanese experts warned of deteriorated security near the dam…. Maintenance stopped since battles took place in 2023.
The dam was established in 1937 to raise water level on the White Nile and facilitate mechanic irrigation during the agricultural season in El Gezira and White Nile. However, the required maintenance stopped since RSF took control. This led to serious concerns about the possibility to irrigate state farms, journalist Elnoor Abdallah. Yousef El Hasani, White Nile Farmers Assoc said the state’s farms and agricultural projects depending on irrigation during the winter were threatened because of the low level of the Nile. Engineers and technicians “need regular access the dam reservoir to maintain the operational system and adjust water levels according to irrigation needs” If engineers are not able to access the operation system the damage for agriculture south of the reservoir will be very large. We, farmers in irrigated projects and good citizens, launch this appeal to the warring parties, to remedy the matter and coordinate with the irrigation department….” Economist Ibrahim believes a speedy return to regular operation of the dam is not only needed for a successful agricultural season…but “warding off great risk of collapse of the vital dam reservoir. The collapse of the dam from the ongoing conflict may lead to the destruction of areas along the White Nile including the capital….El Khazin, Sub-Saharan Africa Ctr, warned of the danger from the source of the White Nile, Lake Victoria in Uganda, after more than average rainfall in the region. …Jebel Aulia was built to regulate water only and areas of 40k inland would be flooded. If the water pressure on the dam will be too high, the gates may collapse, and sweep houses at White Nile banks in Omdurman and Khartoum.
January 17
CHINESE UAVS IDENTIFIED AT RSF CONTROLLED S DARFUR AIRPORT. A report by Humanitarian Research Lab, Yale School of Pub Health identifies advanced unmanned aerial vehicles at Nyala Airport, currently under the control of RSF. …3 UAVs FH-95 drones, known for electronic surveillance, warfare and strike capabilities. … indicates “transfers of sophisticated military technology” likely from an outside foreign actor. Possession of FH-95 drones, capable of long-range targeting and electronic warfare, significantly boosts RSF’s operational capabilities. These findings coincide with ongoing discussions in Washington about arms transfers to Sudan and whether UAE, an alleged RSF sponsor, is continuing their supply of weaponry to the group. Armed Conflict Location & Event Data recorded 1,001 air and drone attacks in 2024, with 703 airstrikes and 226 drone strikes by SAF. RSF carried out 12 drone strikes, Khartoum bearing the brunt of these aerial assaults. Dabanga
January 15
9 DEAD AMID ACCUSATIONS OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN EL GEZIRA…. the latest in a series of violent incidents targeting residents. Reports indicate these attacks included killings, torture, arbitrary arrests and human rights abuses. Jaafar Mohamedein, Secy-Gen of Kanabi Congress, told Dabanga the attack targeted multiple residential areas…. He held SAF and RSF responsible. 18 residents of El Hedeiba and Um El Gura were killed, while a camp in El Shakaba…was reportedly set on fire. Mohamedein accused the Sudan Shield Forces,…of committing acts of sexual violence, including rape, across several Kanabi areas. He emphasised ongoing efforts to document these crimes, condemning the violations as part of a long-standing pattern of abuse against the Kanabi: “These crimes, which include horrific acts such as raping women, killing men and burning children, constitute a blatant attack on humanity”. Adam Rijal, Coordination of Displaced People & Refugees, accused SAF and allied militias, …of committing systematic retaliatory killings in El Kanabi: “heinous and barbaric massacres” specifically targeted children and the elderly “based on their ethnicity and skin colour”. …graphic video footage was shared showing SAF troops and militia forces…torturing a doctor with special needs in Wad Madani. US envoy Perillo expressed concern over reports of “retributions against individuals.” Sudanese Journalists called for transparent trials for those responsible and urged an end to circulation of graphic videos, cautioning that such material risks fuelling hate speech and exacerbating social divisions. The humanitarian organisation MASHAD expressed alarm over the rise of hate speech, attributing its growth to irresponsible media practices and social media….It accused some parties of spreading fear and division through misinformation and incitement. It urged media outlets to prioritise objectivity and credibility in their reporting to foster peace and stability. Min of Info El Aiser appealed to warring factions to adhere to principles of justice and respect the rule of law, “especially in handling prisoners and those suspected of collaborating”. He urged fighters to avoid retaliatory actions following military victories…”. Dabanga
DEFACTO PARTITION OF SUDAN BETWEEN ARMY AND RSF COULD LEAD TO TOTAL STATE DISINTEGRATION….After nearly 2 years of fighting…Sudan is staring down the possibility of being divided by a de facto partition that roughly splits Darfur from the rest of the country. RSF is entrenched in the western region, nearly the size of France, as the army advances across other parts of the country….if that happens, not only could the country be marred by more localised conflicts, it could see a further collapse of the state. “A split would be the beginning of the end for Sudan,” Kholood Khair, Confluence Advisory….if the partition becomes more entrenched and fighting dies down, it could fracture and divide loose coalitions built around the army and RSF, making a lasting peace deal more difficult to reach: “The country would disintegrate immediately”. There have since been credible reports of the army executing people based on perceived affiliation with RSF….RSF’s failure to hold onto Wad Madani has partly been blamed on its inability to enlist loyal recruits outside Darfur. RSF could soon lose control of…Khartoum in coming weeks….RSF already holds eastern, western, central and southern Darfur, taking the northern capital would bring the entire region under its control….no small victory as Darfur, a resource-rich region, strategically shares borders with Chad, So Sudan and Libya. “This looks like the army and RSF would be happy with because it allows both to have a military victory….”
The war in Sudan has attracted foreign countries, enabling the army and RSF to sustain their war effort and control large swaths of the country. “People who support the army say it is a different animal than last year. They have fancier weapons, and are doing a lot better in terms of logistics, and getting a lot of help from Egypt and the Turks. …Cairo would like the army to recapture all Sudan but may accept a scenario in which the RSF is pushed back into Darfur. “Perhaps Egypt will be able to live with a split.” It will take a lot for the army to defeat the RSF in Darfur, and it doesn’t seem like the army is even interested….
Non-Arabs…mainly refer to sedentary farmers while Arabs are considered pastoralists and nomads. Both are Black and Muslim and have intermarried for centuries. During the Darfur war, SLA-MM and JEM rebelled against the central government to protest… marginalisation. Suliman Baldo, Sudan Transparency & Policy Tracker, said the RSF and army outsource fighting to allied groups. Separately, the army…recruited civilians into auxiliary militias, and…these groups will grow stronger and pressure the army to acquire more power and wealth…. Al Jazeera
EXTRAJUDICIAL KILLINGS, ABDUCTIONS AND TORTURE FOLLOW ARMY VICTORY IN WAD MADANI. SAF recapture of Wad Madani sparked a wave of widespread violations against civilians. Alarming footage shows SAF forces and allied forces carrying out torture, extrajudicial killings and widespread destruction in areas previously controlled by RSF. Within 72 hours…45 civilians were executed in El Dinder. In El Hasaheisa and Um El Gura…Sudan Shield Forces torched villages, killing 8 people, including children, abducting 14. Human rights groups confirmed these acts…part of a vicious cycle of revenge against those accused of collaborating with the RSF. Dabanga reported on a graphic video that sparked widespread condemnation showing SAF soldiers shooting a civilian suspected of being affiliated with the RSF in Ombadda. A graphic video…shows SAF troops and militia forces loyal to Keikil torturing a doctor, accusing him of collaborating with RSF. Mat Nashed: “Keikil’s forces committed a myriad of abuses in Gezira…as a member of the RSF. His forces now helped recapture the province for SAF, but they are again committing abuses. Different uniform. Same impunity.” Dr Zakaria, JEM, condemned the targeting, warning such acts could fracture Sudan’s already fragile social fabric. …that it is imperative to address hate speech and ensure justice for all. Prominent voices, including Darfur Gov Minawi, called for immediate action to ensure justice for the victims. International human rights groups labeled the violations as war crimes, urging the international community to step in with investigations and protection efforts. SLM echoed these calls, demanding accountability from the military and international intervention to shield civilians from further violence. Dabanga
January 14
ARMY AND RSF SEEMED TO BE IN A STALEMATE SINCE THE MILITARY A YEAR AGO SEIZED CONTROL OF OMDURMAN. They regularly exchanged artillery fire across the river, with civilians reporting bombs and shrapnel often hitting homes. The…advance “will secure Omdurman from the artillery shelling launched from Bahri.” Across the country, the war has claimed tens of thousands of lives and uprooted 12 million people in what the UN calls the world’s largest internal displacement crisis. Famine has been declared in parts of Sudan but the risk is spreading for millions more. Al Arabiya
January 11
MILITARY AND ALLIED ARMED GROUPS ENTERED WAD MADANI, PUSHING OUT…RSF FROM THE STRATEGIC CITY. Wad Madani is strategic because it is a crossroads of key supply highways linking several states, and the nearest key city to Khartoum. Al Jazeera’s Hiba Morgan…said SAF had been advancing towards the city: “They have been taking over villages in the south and southeast of Gezira until this morning when they took over Hantoub Bridge that leads into the city. SAF and RSF have been accused of committing war crimes, including targeting civilians and indiscriminately shelling residential areas. The paramilitary forces have been accused of summary killings, rampant looting, systematic sexual violence and laying siege to entire towns. US said RSF “committed genocide” and imposed sanctions on leader Hemedti. Resistance Comm hailed the Wad Madani advance as an end to “the tyranny” of ½ million people sought shelter in Gezira.
Witnesses in SAF-controlled cities reported dozens of people taking to the streets to celebrate. The recapture of Gezira…could mark a turning point in the war….tens of thousands of people have been killed and 12 million displaced, one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises. In the early months before a lightning RSF offensive displaced 300,000. RSF still holds the rest of the central agricultural state of Gezira, nearly all of W Darfur and swaths of the south. The army controls north and east, and parts of Khartoum. Al Jazeera
SUDANESE COMMENTATOR TAJ AL-SIR OTHMAN COMPARED LIBERATION OF WAD MADANI TO THAT OF ALEPPO SYRIA: “If Aleppo was the beginning of the collapse of the Iranian dream in the Levant, Wad Madani is the real beginning of the collapse of UAE’s destructive dreams in Sudan.” The victory is a glimmer of hope for Al-Jazira residents and Sudan after a year-long violent occupation by the paramilitary RSF. The liberation of Wad Madani reflects a decisive shift in the trajectory of Sudan’s civil war. It indicates a change in the power balance. In conjunction with advances in Omdurman and Bahri, Khartoum now sits squarely in the crosshairs of SAF. Posts on social media are predicting the army could storm Khartoum at any moment. The recapture of Wad Madani is a pivotal development. It lines strategically at the crossroads for key supply routes linking several states with Pt Sudan and is close to the capital. It is capital of Al-Jazira State, Sudan’s breadbasket, an agricultural hub between the 2 Nile rivers. …the recapture is a much-needed morale boost for the SAF….Since the liberation of Sennar, SAF and allied forces had been steadily progressing north. After clearing the city of RSF militia, they released detainees held in makeshift prisons. …held in extremely poor conditions, suffering from starvation, torture and lack of medical attention. Sudan Shield Forces, the battalion commanded by Keikel, former RSF commander who defected to the SAF,…reported control over Rafaa, capital of E Al-Jazira, Tamboul and nearby villages east of the Nile. Dagalo conceded defeat in Wad Madani. Amidst the jubilation, Wad Madani is a city bereft of basic services. There is a complete power outage and water is unavailable. RSF militia vandalised government equipment and looted supplies. SAF cautioned residents against returning until unexploded shells are removed and the city can be secured. The developments…minimised the likelihood of the paramilitary group ever returning. Reuters reported Tagadum’s announcement of the formation of a new civilian-led government…in areas controlled by RSF. Tagadum and Hamdok’s alliance with the RSF has become a political albatross. Middle East Monitor