Mutinous officers arrested in Wadi Sidna | Telecommunications war erupts | Civil Front for Democracy seeks Kiir’s mediation to meet Burhan

Ten months since the outbreak of the war in Sudan, the fighting continues to shape a complex political and military landscape, with no clear victory or defeat at hand and diplomatic solutions stymied. 

On the military front, these long months of war have led the Sudanese Armed Forces to shift its military strategy from a defensive to an offensive stance, especially in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, while the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) remains in a military deadlock. In the context of the Khartoum war, Sudanese Armed Forces Commander and head of the Sovereignty Council Abdel Fattah al-Burhan arrived yesterday at the frontlines in Omdurman, where his forces have been steadily advancing for several weeks. 

Meanwhile, the war has also taken a toll on the communications sector, with mobile phone networks being disrupted for the second consecutive day across the country. 

On the political front, Sudanese delegations met in the South Sudanese capital, Juba, with President Salva Kiir. Additionally, the United Nations Secretary General's Personal Envoy to Sudan, Ramtane Lamamra, held talks with Saudi officials in Riyadh regarding the Sudanese crisis.

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Burhan visits Omdurman frontlines as military continues offensive, even in face of internal mutiny 

Though the Sudanese Armed Forces has been engaged in fighting armed rebellions for seven decades, their control is now limited to the military camps in the cities of Khartoum. On the other hand, the RSF have taken control of strategic locations, including the presidential palace, Khartoum International Airport, and vital civilian infrastructure, such as telecommunications companies and the headquarters of the radio and television corporation.

The fierce urban warfare in Khartoum initially favored the RSF whose tens of thousands of fighters in the capital outnumber the military’s approximately 20,000 troops. However, in recent weeks, the military has continued to push forward an offensive strategy. The military has started reorganizing its ranks and deploying more effective weapons, including Iranian Mohajer-6 drones, which have replaced the air force’s outdated aircrafts. Additionally, the military has formed alliances with several armed groups, promoting some of their members to the rank of general.

Recent attacks on Um Jaras airport, along with major attacks targeting several military sites in Darfur, the latest being the attack on the Zurg base yesterday, further underscore the shift in the military's approach.

A recent UN Sudan Panel of Experts report noted that the UAE has supplied weapons to the RSF via the Um Jaras airport in Chad.

Burhan, his deputy Malik Agar and the military’s Assistant Commander-in-Chief Yasser al-Atta reflected this shift in their announcement of a clear roadmap for military operations, starting from Khartoum and Gezira, passing through Kordofan, and finally advancing on the Darfur region.

In this context, a publishing platform affiliated with the Sudanese Armed Forces announced on Wednesday that Burhan inspected the frontlines in Omdurman, where the military has been making progress in the city center after capturing several new areas in recent weeks.

The military media confirmed that Atta was there to receive Burhan and briefed him on the progress of military operations. They also inspected some military sites.

During his visit, Burhan emphasized the unity of the military and the Sudanese people in their endeavors to eradicate the rebellious militia and its mercenaries, according to the military media.

However, the military’s focus on the progress of its offensive cannot cover up the internal tensions that continue to show. Egyptian diplomats and officials in discussion with Sudanese military officials have become increasingly worried about the unstable dynamics within the military in recent weeks.

A day before Burhan's visit, the military intelligence arrested a number of officers in the Wadi Sidna military area, north of Omdurman. A military source from Wadi Sidna confirmed the arrest of a group of military personnel led by a colonel and several junior officers without disclosing the reasons.

On the political front, Lamamra held several meetings with Saudi officials to discuss the crisis in Sudan.

Lamamra discussed with Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed al-Khuraiji the efforts by his and the UN to address the current situation in Sudan. Similar discussions took place with Saudi Foreign Deputy Minister for Political Affairs Saud al-Sati.

The UN secretary general appointed Lamamra as his personal envoy to Sudan in November. Lamamra set out by visiting Cairo, where he met with several leaders of civil society organizations and political figures. In January, he arrived in Port Sudan and held discussions with Burhan, his deputy and other officials. During his rounds, he also met with Kenyan President William Ruto and RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo “Hemedti.”

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Telecommunications war

The telecommunications and internet sector has become a battleground in Sudan’s armed conflict, leaving millions of Sudanese within the country completely cut off from the rest of the world.

The disruption of telecommunications and internet services began on Friday in the River Nile State, north of Khartoum, as well as in the city of Port Sudan, which Burhan has designated as the temporary capital of the country. Telecom services were restored on Tuesday, only to be halted completely on Wednesday, except for terrestrial internet connections.

The internet outage caused the suspension of banking services, severely impacting millions of Sudanese who rely on banking apps for money transfers. Additionally, passport issuance has been put on hold both domestically and internationally. However, the Port Sudan International Airport continues to operate normally.

The RSF controls the National Telecommunications Corporation tower, which also houses the Telecommunications Ministry, in the eastern part of Khartoum. They also control the Sudatel tower in central Khartoum and the Zain tower in western Khartoum, as well as the operating servers in the Gabra neighborhood and the Setteen Street in the south and east of Khartoum.

Despite their control over this key infrastructure, RSF legal advisor Mohamed al-Mukhtar al-Nour denied that the paramilitary group cut off telecommunications and internet services in Sudan. He told Mada Masr that communications have been disrupted in the Kordofan and Darfur regions for nine months, accusing the Sudanese military of disabling several service providers through artillery and aerial bombardment.

In response to accusations leveled against the RSF for cutting off internet services in the northern and eastern regions of Sudan, as they have been unstable in Darfur for several months, Nour said that the group stands “for justice for all in all Sudanese states.” He emphasized that they are committed to restoring the network to all states of Sudan equally, including Darfur.

On the other hand, the Sudanese Foreign Ministry accused the RSF of cutting off telecommunications and internet networks in large parts of the country by means of terrorism, sabotage and extortion against companies operating in the sector.

The ministry added that the disruption of telecommunications and internet services means a halt to bank transfers and digital financial services, which have become the lifeline for a large segment of the population amid the suspension of many economic activities and livelihoods. It also obstructs the flow of humanitarian services, such as medical treatment, aid and rescue efforts for those stranded. Additionally, it hinders communication between Sudanese citizens inside and outside the country, as well as between different states.

The ministry highlighted that the RSF has control over major telecommunications companies' central offices and has looted and sabotaged a large number of branches and equipment, especially in the Darfur states, causing long-term damage to the networks.

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Sudanese delegations in Juba

Following the suspension of the Jeddah talks and Sudan’s decision to freeze its membership in the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), armed groups took turns visiting the capital of South Sudan, Juba, to meet with President Salva Kiir and senior officials in his government in search of a seemingly lifeless political path.

Last week, delegations from the Democratic Bloc, led by Minni Arko Minnawi, and the Freedom and Change Coalition Central Council arrived to conduct separate talks. The Democratic Bloc delegation met with Kiir and other security leaders.

According to a source from the Civil Front for Democracy, the front requested that Kiir urge Burhan to schedule a meeting to expedite the resolution of the ongoing war.

The source added that during their meetings with Kiir, the delegation discussed the plight of Sudanese refugees in South Sudan and called for improving their conditions by appealing to international organizations to intervene. Additionally, the issue of education was discussed, with a proposal to open South Sudanese universities to Sudanese students in light of the ongoing war.

Meanwhile, Kiir is scheduled to meet with the Democratic Bloc starting tomorrow, Friday, in Juba. The discussions are set to continue until Monday, with the primary focus being the cessation of hostilities in Sudan.

Sources within the Democratic Bloc told Mada Masr that they will discuss with Kiir their vision for ending the war. This includes advocating for an inclusive dialogue that encompasses all parties, addressing the root causes of the conflict, and ensuring that no single party has control over the dialogue and its mechanisms, as was the case with the framework agreement.

The sources added that the process of ending the war must take precedence over any political negotiations, and that the dialogue should be led by all-Sudanese stakeholders, with regional and international parties’ role limited to facilitation.