Sudan Nashra: Burhan conditions meeting Chadian president on dismantling Um Jaras base, closing border to RSF | RSF, SPLM-N open joint training camp in Blue Nile | Military takes full control of East Nile, Sennar State

As the Sudanese military expanded its territorial control in recent weeks, political and diplomatic maneuvering is also accelerating. 

On Sunday, Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Deby sent envoys to Port Sudan for an unannounced visit to negotiate mending bilateral relations, starting with a proposed summit between Transitional Sovereignty Council Chair Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Deby. However, Burhan set strict conditions for the meeting, demanding the dismantling of the Um Jaras military base and the closure of Chad’s border to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF)’s logistical operations.

Two weeks earlier, the RSF convened a conference in Nairobi, Kenya to sign a charter establishing a parallel government in alliance with political, armed and civil groups. The move continued to draw strong rejection from Arab states, while the United States warned it poses the risk of a de facto partition of Sudan. Members of the United Nations Security Council also voiced deep concern over the charter’s push for a rival government.

Uganda also rejected the move. In a meeting with Transitional Sovereignty Council Deputy Chair Malik Agar on Wednesday in Kampala, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni affirmed that Uganda would not recognize a parallel government in Sudan.

Formalized through the Nairobi charter, the RSF’s alliance with the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), led by Abdel Aziz al-Hilu, has already resulted in military collaboration between the two armed groups. According to a Sudanese intelligence source, the alliance inaugurated a joint training camp in the Blue Nile region, in southeastern Sudan, with the two sides recruiting fighters from across the border. SPLM-N deputy leader Joseph Toka hastily set up the camp, where he hosted RSF commander Hamouda al-Bishi, who brought in mercenaries and opened arms smuggling routes.

Meanwhile, the diplomatic standoff between Sudan and the United Arab Emirates has now reached the International Court of Justice, with Khartoum filing a case against Abu Dhabi, accusing it of financing and arming the RSF and holding it accountable for the genocide committed in West Darfur in July 2023. 

On the battlefield, the military seized full control of the East Nile locality, east of the capital Khartoum, on Tuesday, while continuing its advance in central Khartoum toward the presidential palace. Meanwhile, the air force launched a series of strikes on RSF positions in southern Khartoum and northern Gezira State, which borders the capital.

Further southeast, the military fully secured Sennar State after driving RSF forces out of their last strongholds in the Dali and Mazmum localities, forcing them to retreat into South Sudan. It also secured new gains in the White Nile State and Blue Nile region.

In western Sudan, military convoys arriving from Northern State reinforced positions in North Darfur to break the siege on Fasher, according to a source within the armed movements. On Wednesday, military and allied forces advanced on the city’s eastern front, destroying multiple RSF positions.

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Chadian envoys propose Burhan-Deby summit in Port Sudan

Chadian envoys arrived in Port Sudan on Sunday to arrange a presidential summit between Burhan and Deby to rebuild trust between the two counties, a senior sovereignty council source told Mada Masr. 

This comes as Khartoum continues to accuse N’Djamena of allowing logistical support from the UAE to flow through its borders from the Um Jaras military base to the RSF.

Burhan set conditions for the meeting, demanding that Chad cease its support for the RSF, close the border and dismantle the Um Jaras base, the source said, adding that the envoys returned to N'Djamena on Tuesday.

A source close to the Chadian delegation told Mada Masr that a committee comprising elders from the Zaghawa tribe — spread across both Sudan and Chad, with many of its members leading the military-allied joint force — had met informally with Deby in Um Jaras on February 28. The lengthy discussions, the source said, centered on the situation in Sudan and the military’s recent advances. 

Chad fears that a Sudanese military victory could cause the crisis to spill over into its territories, the source added, given Sudan’s history of supporting Chadian opposition and leveraging its intelligence capabilities to destabilize the neighboring regime.

In his meeting with the tribal elders, Deby suggested sending a delegation to Port Sudan to gauge Burhan’s demands for restoring relations with Khartoum. The move was also driven by the growing discontent among Chadian military leaders over their country’s role in Sudan’s war, as discussed in the meeting with Deby, according to the source.

For the second consecutive year, UAE-sponsored military equipment, weapons and mercenaries have been funneled through the Um Jaras Airport and the Chad-Libya border in support of the RSF, a Sudanese intelligence source told Mada Masr. 

The military’s attacks on RSF bases in Nyala have disrupted the paramilitary group’s use of its airport as a supply transit point, the source said, thus forcing the UAE to rely more heavily on Chad’s borders instead.

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Sudan takes its dispute with the UAE to the International Court of Justice

Sudan has escalated its diplomatic conflict with the UAE by bringing the case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

On Thursday, the ICJ announced in a press release that Sudan filed a request to initiate proceedings against the UAE, accusing it of violating its obligations under the Genocide Convention in relation to the Masalit ethnic group in Sudan, particularly in West Darfur.

The UAE condemned the move, calling it a “publicity stunt,” adding that it will seek immediate dismissal for this “baseless” request.  

According to the ICJ, Sudan’s request concerns actions carried out by the RSF and allied militias, “including — but not limited to — genocide, murder, theft of property, rape, forced displacement, trespassing, vandalism of public properties and violation of human rights.”

Sudan argued in its case that these acts were committed and enabled through the direct support provided to the RSF and allied militias by the UAE.

Khartoum says that the UAE enabled these crimes through financial, political and military backing of the RSF since at least 2023, arguing that Abu Dhabi is complicit in genocide by directing and sustaining the RSF’s operations. 

The court’s statement said that Sudan seeks to found the ICJ’s jurisdiction based on Article 36, paragraph 1 of the ICJ Statute and Article IX of the Genocide Convention, to which both Sudan and the UAE are signatories.

As part of its filing, Sudan also urged the court to impose provisional measures pending a final ruling. These measures include requiring the UAE, in accordance with its obligations under the Genocide Convention, to take all necessary steps within its power to prevent acts against the Masalit people in Sudan, covered under Article II of the convention.

Sudan also called on the UAE to ensure that no irregular armed units, organization or person under its direction, support, control or influence commit, incite or conspire to commit genocide against the Masalit.

The ICJ noted that, under Article 74 of its rules, requests for provisional measures take precedence over all other cases.

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RSF and SPLM-N establish joint training camp in Blue Nile

The RSF and SPLM-N inaugurated their first joint training camp in the Blue Nile region in the country’s south, less than two weeks after signing the Nairobi charter between the two groups along with other armed and political factions to form a military-political alliance and lay the groundwork for a parallel government in Sudan.

The charter immediately facilitated military cooperation between the RSF and SPLM-N leaderships in terms of troop mobilization and training. It also cemented an alliance between SPLM-N deputy leader Joseph Toka and Hamouda al-Bishi, a cousin of former RSF commander in Blue Nile Abdel Rahman al-Bishi, who was killed by the Sudanese military in July. Following his cousin’s death, Hamouda fled to the border between Sennar State and South Sudan.

The SPLM-N, led by Abdel Aziz al-Hilu, has long held large swathes of land in the Blue Nile region and has been locked in conflict with the military since 2011. 

According to a Sudanese intelligence source, Toka hastily set up a training camp in Blue Nile, where he received Hamouda al-Bishi. With the help of border militia leaders, Bishi brought in mercenaries from South Sudan and leveraged his late cousin’s connections with local border figures in Sudan’s far south to open routes for arms smuggling, the source said. 

Meanwhile, RSF troops in Blue Nile launched attacks on several harvest workers’ camps on Monday, a local source told Mada Masr.

In response, military forces carried out a coordinated offensive across Blue Nile, White Nile, and Sennar, military spokesperson Nabil Abdallah stated in a press release on Wednesday. The operation, he said,  destroyed RSF positions in Dali, Mazmum, Gafrat, Malisa, Qali, Abu Orayef, Qarbein, Roro and Tabun, reclaiming control of these areas.

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Agar: Uganda won’t recognize parallel govt in Sudan

In a visit to Kampala, Transitional Sovereignty Council Deputy Chair Malik Agar held talks with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on Wednesday, during which they agreed to schedule a presidential visit to Sudan in June.

Agar stated that their discussions covered Sudan’s political situation and the military’s gains against the RSF.

The meeting also addressed the humanitarian crisis stemming from RSF violations, Agar said, emphasizing that while Sudan’s government seeks to end the conflict, its efforts are hindered by the presence of foreign fighters within the RSF’s ranks, whom, he said, have no interest in achieving peace or stability in Sudan.

According to Agar, Museveni raised concerns about the Nairobi charter and acknowledged Sudan’s apprehensions over Kenya’s support for the RSF. The Ugandan president, he added, stressed that securing stability in Africa requires halting any actions that support armed groups threatening regional security. Museveni also affirmed that Uganda would not recognize any parallel government in Sudan.

Agar announced that he extended a formal invitation for Museveni to visit Sudan, with both leaders agreeing to schedule the visit for June.

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Arab countries reject parallel govt, Security Council, US express concern

The UN Security Council, the US, and several Arab countries have opposed the RSF’s attempts to establish a parallel government in Sudan, after the paramilitary group hosted a conference in Kenya that saw more than 40 civilian, political and armed groups convene to sign the founding charter. 

“The members of the Security Council expressed grave concern over the signing of a charter to establish a parallel governing authority in Sudan,” the council stated in a press release on Wednesday. 

They warned that such actions risk exacerbating the ongoing conflict, further fragmenting the country, and worsening an already dire humanitarian crisis. Reaffirming their commitment to Sudan’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, Security Council members stressed that any unilateral measures undermining these principles pose a threat to Sudan’s stability and that of the broader region.

Security Council members called on all warring parties to immediately seek an end to hostilities and “engage, in good faith, in political dialogue and diplomatic efforts toward a durable ceasefire.” They also welcomed calls by the African Union and the UN secretary general for an immediate ceasefire during Ramadan.

The Security Council reiterated its call for all parties to uphold their commitments under the Jeddah Declaration and emphasized the need for an inclusive and transparent national dialogue “leading to a free, fair and democratically elected national government following a civilian-led transitional period.”

The Security Council also urged all UN member states to refrain from any foreign interference aimed at fueling conflict and instability and adhere to international law and implement relevant Security Council resolutions.

The US also expressed deep concern over reports that the RSF and allied actors had signed a transitional constitution, the US State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs stated on Wednesday.

"Attempts to establish a parallel government are unhelpful for peace and security for the country, and risk further instability and de facto partition of the country," the statement read.

Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry also rejected any unlawful measures taken outside the framework of Sudan’s official institutions, stressing that Riyadh opposes any action that undermines the country’s unity or disregards the will of its people. Similarly, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry reaffirmed Doha’s full support for Sudan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, rejecting any form of external interference in the country’s affairs, and calling on all parties to prioritize national interests and steer Sudan away from the risk of division.

Speaking at a joint press conference with European Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Suica on Tuesday, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Atty stated that forming any parallel structures that could lead to Sudan’s fragmentation is a "red line" for Egypt, calling it "completely unacceptable."

"We support legitimacy and Sudan’s state institutions. We support the state, and not specific individuals," he said, adding that Egypt remains engaged with all relevant parties to convey its firm position.

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Military gains full control of East Nile, Manshiya bridge’s eastern end

The military and allied battalions gained full control over the East Nile locality and the Manshiya Bridge’s eastern end, east of the capital Khartoum, on Tuesday, following several days of battles that ended in a decisive defeat for the RSF, two field sources told Mada Masr.

Elite forces from the security apparatus and revolutionary battalions advanced from Hilla Koko on Sunday and engaged in clashes with the RSF in the Qadisiya neighborhood, north of the Manshiya Bridge, a source in the military-allied battalions told Mada Masr. They managed to take positions atop several tall buildings, securing key main and side streets, the source said, which allowed additional forces to move in the following day, tightening their grip on the area and bringing the bridge within their firing range.

Sudan Shield Forces units, fighting alongside the military, advanced from the Marabia al-Sharif area south of the bridge on Monday. A source from the group told Mada Masr that they pushed through the villages of Karyab and Hay al-Mostafa to the strategic Station 13. From there, they moved westward toward East Nile Hospital, near the Manshiya Bridge’s eastern entrance, cutting off the remaining RSF fighters in Gereif and Um Dom overlooking the Blue Nile’s eastern bank. With no escape route, RSF fighters either surrendered or abandoned their weapons and went into hiding, marking the military’s complete takeover of the East Nile locality, the source said.

The military and its allied forces had been unable to cross the Manshiya Bridge due to RSF snipers positioned atop the telecommunications tower and other tall buildings in Manshiya, the source said. With East Nile now under control, forces could cross the bridge and push westward to link up with troops in the Berri neighborhood near the General Command headquarters in central Khartoum, according to the source. 

Speaking to Mada Masr, a source from the RSF-allied Shujaan Kordofan group attributed the RSF’s retreat in East Nile and the military’s advance to dwindling ammunition and the failure of their jamming devices to counter drone attacks.

The source added that Group 42 — the RSF’s last remaining unit in East Nile — was forced to withdraw across the Manshiya Bridge after losing its commander, intelligence chief and several fighters who were left to battle alone without reinforcements from the RSF’s operations command.

The East Nile locality had been one of the RSF’s largest strongholds, with the paramilitary group nearly holding the entire area since the war began, except for the military’s operational base in Hattab, northeast of the locality, and a small camp in Aylafoun to the far south.

Now, with the locality under the military’s control, it holds most of the capital, while RSF presence is largely confined to pockets in southern Khartoum and a few neighborhoods in the west and south of Omdurman.

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Military continues advance in central Khartoum, launches airstrikes in south

In central Khartoum, military forces continued to advance westward from the General Command on Thursday morning along Baladiya street toward the presidential palace, deploying heavy weaponry to neutralize RSF snipers, a military officer told Mada Masr.

Meanwhile, in southern Khartoum, the military carried out a series of airstrikes targeting RSF positions in the Safola area, another military source told Mada Masr. Fighter jets also struck RSF gatherings in the Jadeed al-Thawra and Bagir towns, north of Gezira State, near the capital’s southern borders. 

The military is preparing for a large-scale ground operation to establish full control over the capital, a senior Sudanese military officer told Mada Masr, speculating that RSF troops may then retreat toward Jebel Awliya, which holds the last bridge under their control. Their forces use this bridge to cross from Khartoum to Omdurman, where they can access western Sudan.

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Military opens new front in southern Sudan, gains full control of Sennar State

The military launched a new offensive in Sudan’s far south on Wednesday, mobilizing three military units across White Nile, Sennar and Blue Nile, to reclaim RSF-held areas.

In Sennar State, the military’s 17th Division launched a surprise attack on the RSF’s last remaining positions in the state, in the localities of Dali and Mazmum, defeating their forces and pushing them toward South Sudan, a military source told Mada Masr.

Simultaneously, the Fourth Division in the Blue Nile region conducted combing operations in the Roro area, while the 18th Division in White Nile State recaptured the strategic areas of Sharak and Tiboun, along with several agricultural zones east of the Jabalain locality, which had been an RSF stronghold, according to the military source. 

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Military reinforcements arrive in North Darfur from Northern State

In North Darfur, several military convoys advancing from the town of Dabba in Northern State reached strategic positions in North Darfur this week to join the battle for Fasher, a source within the military-allied armed movements told Mada Masr.

On Tuesday, military drones destroyed a RSF truck carrying troops and weapons, the source said. The following day, military and allied forces advanced on Fasher’s eastern front, destroying several RSF positions.

Meanwhile, RFS artillery shelling continues to target displacement camps in Fasher’s outskirts. The Abu Shouk displacement camp emergency committee stated that six people were killed and several others were injured on Wednesday morning due to renewed RSF shelling.