Sudan Nashra: Burhan brings all allied forces under military law | Disputes flare within Tasis coalition over RSF violations in Fasher | TSC approves plan to relocate govt HQ out of central Khartoum | Heavy fighting breaks out in North Kordofan, military repels major assault on Fasher

For the first time since the outbreak of war, Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) Commander-in-Chief and Transitional Sovereignty Council (TSC) Chair Abdel Fattah al-Burhan carried out a major reshuffle of the military general staff, while placing all irregular forces under the Armed Forces Act and its amendments. 

Military sources told Mada Masr that the move reflects an effort to inject new blood into the military amid a protracted war of attrition with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on the decisive Kordofan front, while also seeking to avoid the past mistakes of granting the RSF autonomy from the military’s chain of command.

Administratively, the TSC approved the permanent relocation of government institutions from central Khartoum to the eastern and southeastern outskirts of the capital, as well as to Bahri and Omdurman — areas less affected by the fighting — as part of a broader plan to revive civilian and economic life and enable displaced residents to return home.

Politically, internal rifts broke out within the RSF-led Tasis coalition following the circulation of a video showing an RSF fighter executing a civilian in Fasher on ethnic grounds. Coalition members told Mada Masr that the incident has strained relations with RSF leadership, particularly as  communications are underway to seek recognition from civil society and international organizations as a means to see humanitarian aid delivered to Darfur, where hunger-induced deaths have been on the rise. With executive authorities of the Tasis-led parallel government taking shape in western Sudan, the coalition now walks a tightrope: relying on RSF protection and support, while also needing to denounce the group’s violations in order to retain credibility with local communities and international organizations.

On the battlefield, the military-allied Bara ibn Malik Brigade lost its operations commander on Wednesday in an RSF ambush in Abu Qaoud, west of Obeid in North Kordofan, before regaining control, and ultimately destroying and capturing dozens of RSF combat vehicles the following day. 

In North Darfur, the RSF launched a major ground assault on Fasher, the military’s last stronghold in Darfur, before being repelled. As part of the assault, RSF shelling struck the Abu Shouk displacement camp north of the city, killing at least 20 civilians and wounding 31.

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Burhan reshuffles military leadership, brings all irregular forces under Armed Forces Act

Amid decisive battles in Kordofan and Fasher in western Sudan, SAF Commander-in-Chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan carried out the first sweeping overhaul of the military leadership since the war began. 

The changes include reshuffling the general staff and promoting and retiring several senior commanders. Most significantly, Burhan issued a decree bringing all irregular armed groups fighting alongside the military under the Armed Forces Act, subjecting them to military law and command structures.

The move is not routine reorganization, a former general staff commander told Mada Masr, but rather a multidimensional decision meant to advance several objectives. The source added that the military sees the decree as a strategic correction drawn from its past experience with the RSF, which gained autonomy under a 2017 law passed during the rule of ousted President Omar al-Bashir, while remaining strictly under the military’s commander-in-chief’s authority. Burhan’s new order removes any form of independence for allied forces, placing them directly under SAF’s authority instead of the commander-in-chief’s alone.

Groups affected by the decree include the Sudan Shield Forces, the Baraa ibn Malik Brigade, the Furqan Brigade and the Popular Resistance Forces that emerged to support the military against the RSF. All will now be placed under regional military commands.

Alongside the decree, Burhan approved new appointments and promotions across the ranks while retaining General Mohamed Osman Hussein Hassan as Chief of Staff. A Defense Ministry source stressed that the retirements were procedural, dictated by age and length of service.

The changes also reflect the military’s adjustment to new battlefield realities, a senior general staff source told Mada Masr. The RSF’s growing use of drones — including the unprecedented strikes on eastern Sudan in May — signals that the war has entered a new strategic phase, requiring strengthened air defenses, expanded digital warfare capabilities and improved logistical coordination.

Notable new appointments include chief of staff deputies for logistics, training and operations, along with the heads of military intelligence, the general inspectorate and the Air Force.

A source in the TSC said the reshuffle reflects the military’s current priorities in the ongoing conflict, noting that the appointments to key positions in operations, training and logistics highlight a focus on intelligence gathering, operational planning, combat readiness and securing supply chains — all critical factors in a protracted war of attrition, they said.

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TSC approves plan to relocate govt HQ out of central Khartoum

The TSC approved on Tuesday a proposal to permanently relocate all government headquarters from central Khartoum to areas less affected by the fighting on the city’s eastern and southeastern outskirts, as well as to Bahri and Omdurman, a source from the council told Mada Masr.

The plan, put forward by the TSC committee tasked with preparing for citizens’ return to Khartoum, calls for the complete evacuation of government ministries and offices from the strategic downtown area — stretching from Nile Street in the north to the railway in the south, the Mogran area in the west and the General Command in the east. 

The committee, established by a sovereign decree, has been charged with drawing up and implementing a comprehensive plan to create the security conditions, humanitarian environment and infrastructure necessary for displaced residents to come back. A central pillar is ensuring the continuity of government services from secure locations, viewed as essential to reconstruction.

The decision builds on an order issued earlier this month by TSC member Ibrahim Gaber, who heads the committee, halting all rehabilitation and repair work on government facilities in Khartoum. Although the order sparked disputes among ministries, the committee proceeded with its mandate.

According to a source in the committee, one potential relocation site for the prime minister’s office is the General Intelligence Service’s Higher Academy in the Soba district, in southern Khartoum.

A senior committee source described the decision as a “positive step” toward maintaining basic public services — even at a limited level at first — and as a signal of reassurance to citizens that the state remains functional and committed to meeting their needs. At the same time, the source acknowledged significant obstacles, including the readiness of new facilities, the availability of human and technical resources and the risk of delays in service delivery during the transition.

Dispersing government offices across new sites will demand high levels of coordination between ministries to ensure the flow of information and effective decision-making, particularly given that Sudan’s administrative operations remain split between Port Sudan, which has served as the de facto capital since the war, and Khartoum, the official added.

Prime Minister Kamel Idris’s office told Mada Masr that the move is designed to encourage families to return to the capital. The presence of a functioning government, officials in the office said, could act as a catalyst for restoring basic services, reviving economic activity and creating jobs in safer areas — gradually expanding the zones of security and stability.

Not everyone in the government agrees, however. Technical committees within ministries, particularly the finance and transportation ministries, opposed the decision, arguing that large swathes of Khartoum remain in ruins and without essential services, officials in the committees told Mada Masr. They warned that relocating state institutions might create new “centers” within the capital, potentially reshaping its urban fabric and population distribution over the long term.

Still, a senior TSC official insisted that moving government headquarters is a “crucial first step” toward reviving the capital. The success of the plan, they said, depends on sustained security, adequate reconstruction funding and effective coordination among all stakeholders.

On Thursday, Idris said that restoring Khartoum is one of the government’s top priorities. “We hope that the government in its entirety will be back in the capital by the end of October or early November,” he told the Sudan News Agency.

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Rifts emerge within Tasis coalition after RSF fighter executes civilian in Fasher

Tensions have flared between members of the RSF-led Tasis coalition and the paramilitary group following reports of RSF abuses in Fasher, including the execution of unarmed civilians.

The dispute broke out just as the coalition was preparing to announce its executive government team in Nyala, South Darfur, a senior source in Tasis told Mada Masr. The trigger was a video circulated by RSF soldiers showing one of their fighters shooting a civilian after asking him about his tribal affiliation.

The incident stirred resentment among committees tasked with forming the new government, as well as among several coalition members, amid accusations of abuses committed during the RSF’s latest assault on Fasher this week.

Another coalition member, speaking from Nairobi in Kenya, told Mada Masr that several Tasis figures sent strong messages of condemnation to the RSF leadership over its failure to rein in field units. This, the source added, was especially damaging at a moment when parts of the coalition were in talks with external actors — which they did not disclose — in connection with humanitarian aid, in which they are seeking at least symbolic recognition of Tasis.

A senior Sudanese intelligence official told Mada Masr that the Tasis-led parallel government faces enormous obstacles in managing its territories, citing volatile security conditions and ongoing clashes among RSF factions, all of which undermine any administrative or service-delivery efforts. Extensive destruction of basic infrastructure — water, electricity, health and education systems — will require massive rehabilitation, while large numbers of displaced people continue to strain already limited resources, the official said.

The official also pointed to Tasis’s lack of qualified personnel and administrative experience, while the absence of international recognition further restricts its ability to engage external actors.

The RSF-led coalition announced the formation of its parallel government in late July, with RSF Commander Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo chairing the presidential council. The coalition itself emerged from the RSF’s Nairobi conference in February — where the idea of a rival government was first unveiled and around 40 civilian, political and armed groups signed its founding charter.

A political source from Sumud — the coalition that emerged from a split within the Civil Front for Democracy after some members signed the Nairobi charter — said Tasis’s success will depend heavily on its relationship with the RSF and its ability to secure the paramilitary group’s protection. But with Darfur being home to other powerful alliances, such as the United Civil Forces Coalition, Tasis will be pressured to forge links with civilian groups in the region.

 

Creation of the United Civil Forces Coalition, which rivals the RSF-led Tasis in Darfur, August 3. Source: @sudanmixtv via Instagram.

According to the source, open condemnation of RSF abuses could further strain relations between the two sides. Based in Nyala, deep inside RSF-controlled territory, Tasis may be forced into a delicate balancing act: cooperating with the RSF while trying to retain credibility with local communities and international organizations.

The coalition may attempt to draw a line between its role as an administrative authority and the broader political positions expressed by civilian alliances, the source said. In practice, however, such a distinction may prove difficult. Local communities already suffering from violations are likely to demand Tasis denounce RSF abuses, further complicating its position.

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Military-allied joint force regains control after RSF ambush west of Obeid, North Kordofan

 

The military-allied joint force takes control of the Abu Qaoud area, Thursday, August 21. Source: The Joint Forces via Facebook.

On Thursday, the military-allied joint force announced it had regained control of the Abu Qaoud area, west of Obeid in North Kordofan, destroying 92 RSF combat vehicles and capturing 72.

The announcement came a day after the RSF ambushed advancing military units in the area, inflicting heavy casualties and seizing equipment.

A military reconnaissance force of around 10 vehicles carrying troops fell into an RSF ambush in the Abu Qaoud area on Wednesday, causing major losses among both the military and the allied Baraa ibn Malik Brigade, a source in the mobilized forces fighting alongside the military told Mada Masr. The brigade later confirmed the death of its operations commander in the battle.

An RSF source told Mada Masr that their forces initially pulled back from Abu Qaoud, then launched a surprise attack once military troops advanced, encircling them. Pro-RSF social media accounts posted footage of dead soldiers as well as captured and destroyed military vehicles.

What unfolded in Abu Qaoud echoed recent ambushes on the military and the Sudan Shield Forces in Um Sayala, a retired military officer said, describing it as a sign of weak intelligence.  

The RSF, with “unprecedented support,” is doing everything it can to block the military’s advance through Kordofan toward Darfur, the officer told Mada Masr. He acknowledged that the military is still grappling with tactical problems and intelligence failures but stressed that the setbacks would not alter its broader strategy of clearing Kordofan and pushing west into Darfur.

RSF control of Abu Qaoud, about 20 kilometers west of Obeid, would have placed the state capital once again within range of western artillery assaults, following the RSF’s capture of Um Samima in late July, an activist in North Kordofan told Mada Masr.

The military remains positioned in Galabiya and Ayara to the west of Obeid, and in Um Arada, Ban Gadid and Gallaba to the south, while the RSF is majorly stationed in Kazgil and Alawiya to the south and southeast of the city, in addition to Um Samima to the west.

Military reinforcements were dispatched to Obeid’s western front after the ambush, the source in the mobilized forces said.

In another major battlefield in North Kordofan, military drones struck RSF positions in Bara, north of Obeid, on Sunday, destroying a combat vehicle and killing several RSF officers and soldiers, a military source told Mada Masr.

Since expelling the last of the RSF troops in the capital, Khartoum, from the Salha area south of Omdurman in May, the military has deployed large numbers of troops and heavy equipment in a push to secure the Saderat Road, connecting Omdurman with Bara, and advanced through the northern axis toward Darfur. These forces have since recaptured Rahid al-Nuba in late July, drawing close to Gabra al-Sheikh in the north —  a key RSF logistical hub used for supply distribution and command operations.

On August 15, Burhan made a surprise visit to Rahid al-Nuba, inspecting its defenses. Addressing his troops, he vowed, “our next meeting will be in Fasher,” signaling the military’s intent to push into North Darfur and lift the RSF’s siege on Fasher, where heavy fighting and a dire humanitarian crisis continue.

Burhan’s visit carried “strategic significance,” the retired officer said, as it reaffirmed SAF’s commitment to a military solution, offering a morale boost for the soldiers and a signal of a renewed push in the Kordofan fronts.

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RSF shells Fasher’s Abu Shouk camp, military repels attack

The RSF launched a major ground assault on Fasher in North Darfur on Wednesday, shelling Abu Shouk during the offensive and killing 20 civilians.

RSF units advanced from the city’s northeastern and northwestern fronts, backed by artillery and drones, before being pushed back by military forces, who pursued retreating fighters beyond residential areas, a field source told Mada Masr.

This marks the second large-scale attack on Fasher in two weeks, following an earlier assault that left dozens dead after the RSF fighters stormed Abu Shouk.

The military-allied armed movement’s joint force said in a statement that the RSF had suffered heavy losses in Wednesday’s fighting, with their forces seizing 15 combat vehicles and killing the attack’s field commander, Mohamadein Habib Moussa.

But civilians have once again borne the brunt of the fighting. The Sudan Doctors Network reported that 20 people — including at least five children — were killed, and 31 were wounded, when RSF shelling struck the Abu Shouk displacement camp north of Fasher.

“What is happening constitutes an ongoing genocide and ethnic cleansing carried out by the RSF against unarmed civilians in Fasher,” the network said, warning of catastrophic conditions in the city’s displacement camps, where thousands face the risk of death from starvation, disease and repeated bombardment.

While Fasher and its displacement camps face a deepening hunger crisis after a year under RSF siege — a crisis compounded in recent months by the group’s refusal to allow humanitarian pauses — the whole of North Darfur is also reeling from severe food shortages and soaring prices. Aid convoys in the region continue to be targeted. 

The World Food Programme (WFP) stated that one of its aid convoys was struck by a drone in the Malit locality, north of Fasher, on Wednesday. Three trucks of the 16 carrying food assistance were destroyed in the attack.

“This latest incident adds to many unacceptable attacks in recent months taking lifesaving food assistance away from those that need it most,” WFP said in a statement. “Humanitarian staff and assets must never be a target.”

Both warring parties traded blame over the strike. The RSF accused the military’s Air Force of bombing the convoy, saying that airstrikes also hit Malit’s market and customs point, killing and wounding dozens of civilians.

Military spokesperson Nabil Abdallah dismissed the claims, calling the RSF’s statement “false and misleading,” and accusing the group of trying to “throw dust in people’s eyes and falsify reality that exposes their continuous violations.”