Sudan Nashra: Burhan wages diplomatic campaign against RSF in West Africa | Military, Foreign Ministry condemn US sanctions on Burhan | Khartoum’s final battle draws closer

Far from the battles raging at the gates of Khartoum and within its center, and westward in North Darfur, Sudan’s Transitional Sovereignty Council Chair and Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan embarked on his most extensive foreign tour to date. Over three days, Burhan visited five West African capitals in a diplomatic campaign focused on rallying support for Sudan’s reinstatement in the African Union and countering the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on the international stage. 

A day after Burhan concluded his West African tour, he met with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Atty in Port Sudan, for the latter’s second visit in less than two months.

In his talks with regional leaders, Burhan discussed key points, including mercenaries fighting alongside the RSF, the Sahel-Saharan security situation, diaspora matters and bilateral relations. 

In Sierra Leone, Burhan addressed a draft United Nations Security Council resolution co-authored by Sierra Leone and the United Kingdom, and aimed at advancing measures to protect civilians. Burhan proposed amendments to increase pressure on international backers of the RSF and enhance the Sudanese government’s capacity to deliver humanitarian aid.

On the ground in Khartoum, the Sudanese military advanced into the capital city from Gezira State, with the Sudan Shield Forces and Central Reserve Forces storming and capturing Wad Abu Saleh in East Nile — a key area whose capture cuts off RSF supply lines between Gezira and Khartoum, according to a senior military officer who spoke to Mada Masr.

Forces from the Armored Corps in the southern Shagara military base have pushed steadily northward and eastward toward the General Command and the Mogran area in central Khartoum, securing new neighborhoods. The operations included capturing the residences of RSF Commander Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo and his relatives in the Gabra area, as well as the Ruwad residential complex, which housed one of the largest RSF weapon depots. 

In Bahri, the capital’s northern city, the military resumed advances in Safiya and Shambat, pushing toward the Signal Corps camp in the far south. To the north, the military pressed forward around the Jaili Oil Refinery, securing notable gains and closing in on the area.

In southern Omdurman, northwest of the capital, the military continued its advance toward the Jebel Awliya Dam, aiming to cut off the RSF’s sole access point between Khartoum and central Sudan via the dam bridge.

In western Sudan, battles persist across the desert front and in Fasher, where the military-allied joint force secured new victories, capturing strategic areas and nearing Malit, a strategic RSF stronghold that contributes to reinforcing their siege on Fasher. Darfur Governor Minni Arko Minnawi reported ongoing foreign support for the RSF, including 400 military vehicles entering Darfur from Libya.

In southeastern Sudan, the military reclaimed Bout in the Blue Nile State, reducing RSF control to only two small areas in the broader region, which includes Sennar. A military source told Mada Masr that some RSF fighters fled to Renk in South Sudan after the battle for Bout.

On the political front, just over a week after Washington sanctioned Hemedti, the US Treasury Department extended sanctions to Burhan. Both the Sudanese military and Foreign Ministry issued statements condemning the move. However, a sovereignty council source told Mada Masr that Burhan showed no concern for the sanctions, while a diplomatic source said they won’t affect his travels or participation in global forums. 

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Egyptian foreign minister’s 2nd visit to Port Sudan in 2 months

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Atty visited Port Sudan, the country’s de facto administrative capital, for the second time in less than two months. After his trip on December 3, Abdel Atty returned on January 15 for a round of discussions with Sudanese officials.

Two diplomatic sources in the Sudanese Foreign Ministry told Mada Masr that Abdel Atty’s visit focused on Sudan’s reinstatement to the African Union. The sources emphasized the significance of this step in enabling Sudan to collaborate with other African countries in finding solutions to end the war.

Sudan’s membership was suspended by the AU Peace and Security Council following the military coup that ousted the civilian-led transitional government in October 2021. The AU stated at the time that the suspension, a measure the AU typically employs in response to military coups in African countries, will remain in effect until civilian rule is restored.

One of the diplomatic sources said that, during his visit, Abdel Atty outlined Egypt’s extensive efforts to support Sudan’s stability and uphold its territorial integrity. Following the visit, Sudan’s Foreign Ministry announced that both sides agreed to convene a political consultations committee in February, with representatives from both countries’ foreign ministries. 

The talks also covered consular matters, with Egypt consenting to reopen Sudan’s General Consulate in Alexandria.

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Burhan’s diplomatic battle against the RSF in West Africa

As battles rage across Sudan, Burhan embarked on a diplomatic campaign in West Africa this week, with the aim of rallying support for Sudan’s return to the AU and countering the RSF’s diplomatic efforts on the international stage.

In his most extensive diplomatic tour to date, Burhan visited Mali, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone, Senegal and Mauritania. 

In Mali, Burhan met with Interim President Assimi Goita on Sunday to discuss the involvement of now-retreating Malian mercenaries fighting alongside the RSF in Sudan, particularly in Khartoum and central regions, according to a source familiar with the diplomatic tour. 

In a closed meeting with Goita, Burhan outlined Sudan’s vision for the Sahel and the Sahara’s security and proposed military cooperation to enhance regional stability, the source said. 

Responding to an invitation from Guinea-Bissau’s president, Umaro Sissoco Embalo, Burhan’s discussions in his second stop on Sunday focused on Sudan’s reinstatement into the AU and the broader security of the Sahel region, according to a sovereignty council source who accompanied Burhan. The two presidents also discussed ways to strengthen bilateral relations. 

In Sierra Leone, Burhan met with President Julius Maada Bio on Monday to detail Sudan’s efforts to reclaim RSF-occupied areas and restore national security, a source familiar with the visit told Mada Masr. The discussions included the UN Security Council resolution co-authored by Sierra Leone and the UK in November, and which aims to advance measures to protect civilians in Sudan. Burhan proposed ways to strengthen the resolution’s formulation to pressure international backers of the RSF to halt their support. Burhan also proposed amendments to enhance the Sudanese government’s capacity to deliver humanitarian aid, the source added. 

Arriving in Dakar, Senegal, later on Monday, Burhan engaged in talks with President Macky Sall, reiterating the urgent need for Sudan’s return to the AU, while also addressing regional security concerns, according to an informed source. 

Burhan concluded his diplomatic tour on Tuesday in Mauritania, where he met with President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani. Discussions centered on Sudan’s AU membership and the Sudanese community in Mauritania. According to a source at the Sudanese embassy in Nouakchott, Burhan acknowledged Mauritania’s efforts to support the Sudanese diaspora, particularly as several Sudanese businesses relocated their operations to Mauritania, including telecommunications provider Sudatel.

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Khartoum’s major battle nears, military advances into East Nile from Gezira 

Following the Sudanese military’s recapture of Wad Madani on Saturday, focus has shifted toward Khartoum. The capital is expected to witness intensified military operations in the coming days, potentially becoming a central battleground between the military and the RSF, which has incurred significant losses in territory and supply routes in recent months. 

The battlefield in Khartoum has expanded, with new fronts opening up. The military-allied Sudan Shield Forces and the Central Reserve Forces announced the recapture of Wad Abu Saleh in the southeast of the capital. A video recorded by Central Reserve Forces personnel showed the recapture of the area’s police station, previously held by the RSF.

A senior officer told Mada Masr that Wad Abu Saleh serves as a key entry point for the military’s advance into Khartoum via the East Nile area. This route would connect forces arriving from Gezira State with those trapped in Ayloun, east of Khartoum, and disrupt RSF supply lines in areas like Wad Rawah, Hilaliya, Refaa and surrounding villages in northeastern Gezira.

As part of the campaigns to secure the capital, the officer said that the military will work to recapture northern and eastern Gezira, and will likely bolster its positions in White Nile’s Aawag, after which it would push toward Geteina and Jabal Awliya. 

Inside Khartoum, the Armored Corps expanded its operations in the Gabra neighborhood in the south, securing the main street and capturing fortified residences belonging to RSF Commander Hemedti and his relatives, a field source told Mada Masr. They also carried out targeted operations in Remila and Hilla al-Gadida, near central Khartoum and the Mogran area, according to the source. 

Meanwhile, Armored Corps Commander Nasr Eddin Abdel Fattah inspected the recently captured Ruwad Towers area, where the corps reported seizing munitions, heavy weaponry and an advanced jamming system on Wednesday.

Since the bridge-crossing battle of September 26, the Armored Corps has sought to advance northward toward Mogran to link up with other military units stationed there. The objective is to establish a supply line stretching from the Wadi Sidna base in northern Omdurman to the Shagara military base in southern Khartoum.

In Bahri, airstrikes targeted an RSF ammunition depot in Safiya and another in the city’s market, with cautious ground advances into southern neighborhoods such as Shambat and central neighborhoods near the Signal Corps camp, a field source told Mada Masr. 

The military aims to reclaim the Sawakni station on Ingaz Street, the source added, to cut off a key RSF supply route from East Nile to Bahri’s center. However, the RSF has fortified its military arsenal in the area, signaling a tough battle ahead, according to the source.

Military forces are advancing in Shambat along three main axes — the Mur, Maouna and Ingaz streets — along with secondary axes, with plans to reclaim the city center and RSF paratroopers camp near Shambat Bridge. They are also working to lift the siege on forces at the Signal Corps camp and the General Command, which has been in place since the outbreak of the war.

In northern Bahri, near the Jaili Oil Refinery, a source in the military-allied armed movement told Mada Masr that the military seized RSF combat vehicles on Tuesday following intensified airstrikes the previous day. 

While the military, the armed movements and mobilized fighters intensified their siege on the RSF in Jaili, according to the source, the military denied rumors circulating on Monday that it had reclaimed the refinery. 

Omdurman, the largest city in the capital, remains a critical battleground, with heavy fighting concentrated in areas like Ombada in the west and the residential blocks and Fatihab in the south. Military sources told Mada Masr that RSF positions in the residential blocks area were destroyed and residents were safely evacuated on Tuesday. 

On Wednesday, airstrikes targeted a fuel depot in the Muthalath area west of the Jebel Awliya Dam.

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Military-allied joint force captures new areas in the desert front, approaches Malit

North Darfur’s desert has turned into an open battleground following intensified operations by the armed movements’ joint force this week to cut off RSF supply lines and attack their assembly points.

A source in the armed movements told Mada Masr that a joint force unit took control of the Mo area in North Darfur this week after intense clashes with the RSF. The source noted that this mountainous area was a fortified RSF stronghold used for organizing and regrouping, and served as one of the primary defensive lines for Malit City, north of Fasher.

Meanwhile, a local source in Malit told Mada Masr that intense airstrikes targeted RSF positions in the city’s market on Tuesday, resulting in civilian casualties. The source added that the RSF reinforced their presence in Malit, triggering widespread panic among residents who fear renewed clashes.

On the desert front, the joint force, along with the military and the popular resistance forces, launched a surprise attack on RSF gatherings in the Drishegi area on Tuesday. The joint force reported that it destroyed three RSF units, including over 162 vehicles, while inflicting heavy losses in personnel and equipment.

The joint force also stated that the RSF was attempting to regroup along the outskirts of the joint force’s controlled territories to launch an attack on Malha and re-establish its presence in the border triangle between Sudan, Libya and Chad, from which they were expelled in August. They also sought to cut off supply lines that had been reaching the RSF from abroad.

According to the statement, RSF forces fled southward toward Malit. Over 54 RSF military vehicles were destroyed and 67 others in excellent condition and equipped with various weapons were seized.

In Half, the armed movements also reported a significant victory over RSF troops stationed in a camp in the area, destroying 46 vehicles, capturing 21 others in excellent condition and inflicting heavy casualties. 

On Thursday, Darfur Governor Minni Arko Minnawi stated that foreign support continues to flow to the RSF through Libya. He reported that a convoy of 400 military vehicles recently entered Darfur under the RSF’s command.

In Fasher, a field source told Mada Masr that, on Monday, the RSF shelled residential areas with six mortars, killing one civilian and injuring several others.

The administration of the Zamzam displacement camp reported that RSF shelling on Saturday killed 16 civilians and injured 42 in the camp.

A field source told Mada Masr that the RSF’s recent shelling of Fasher has triggered a new wave of displacement, closed markets, and caused severe damage to infrastructure, including cultural and service institutions. Among the losses was the recently restored Sultan Ali Dinar Museum, which was reduced to ashes in the shelling, the source said. 

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Military recaptures Bout in Blue Nile State, RSF troops flee to South Sudan 

On Wednesday, the military’s Fourth Infantry Division recaptured the city of Bout in the Tadamun district, west of Damazin, a local source told Mada Masr.

The source said the battle lasted several hours, during which the military inflicted significant losses on the RSF, including casualties and captured fighters, as well as seizing two Land Cruisers loaded with weapons.

The source said that some RSF fighters fled to Renk in South Sudan, while others retreated to Mazmum in southern Sennar State.

The source speculated that the military would advance to recapture the Gili and Roro areas, which were recently taken over by the RSF after their retreat from Singa.

Also in the Blue Nile, the source said that the military, supported by the air force, repelled an attempt by forces from the Sudan People Liberation Movement-North (al-Hilu), led by Joseph Toka, to expand into the Magaga and Selik areas south of Blue Nile.

Several areas in the Blue Nile region fall under the control of the SPLM-N faction led by Abdel Aziz al-Hilu.

On Thursday, Transitional Sovereignty Council member and the military’s assistant commander, Yasser al-Atta, visited Damazin to congratulate the Fourth Infantry Division on their victory. During the visit, Atta vowed to chase the mercenaries fighting alongside the RSF beyond Sudan’s borders and promised to hold RSF-aligned Sudanese fighters accountable.

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US imposes sanctions on Burhan, Sudanese military, Foreign Ministry condemn the move

In a new escalation by the United States, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) under the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Burhan, as well as on a company and individual involved in procuring weapons, on Thursday.

“We’ve heard about sanctions on military leaders. We welcome these sanctions if they serve our country’s interests,” Burhan said hours before the sanctions were announced, addressing his soldiers in Wad Madani. 

The sanctions were issued under Executive Order 14098, on certain persons destabilizing Sudan and undermining the goal of a democratic transition. This comes after the January 7 decision to sanction RSF Commander Hemedti. 

The OFAC sanctions also targeted a company and an individual involved in procuring weapons on behalf of the Defense Industries System, the technical body responsible for military procurement, which itself had been sanctioned in June 2023.

“Today’s action underscores our commitment to seeing an end to this conflict,” Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo stated. “The United States will continue to use its tools to disrupt the flow of weapons into Sudan and hold these leaders responsible for their blatant disregard of civilian lives.”

The statement accused the Sudanese military of launching lethal attacks on civilians, including airstrikes targeting protected infrastructure, such as schools, markets and hospitals. It also held the military responsible for systematically and deliberately denying humanitarian access and using starvation as a tactic of war.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had previously determined in December 2023 that members of the Sudanese Armed Forces had committed war crimes. 

A diplomatic source in Sudan’s Foreign Ministry told Mada Masr that US sanctions against Burhan lacked substantial justification for punishing individuals.

The source added that Sudan is surprised at the US equating Burhan with Hemedti, who they said has been labeled a war criminal by the US State Department.

The source added that the sanctions imposed on Burhan would not impact his international travels or participation in global forums.

A Transitional Sovereignty Council source told Mada Masr that the US sanctions represent a step back in efforts to achieve peace in Sudan, describing the move as an indicator of US floundering. The source argued that these measures enable international actors supporting the RSF to further obstruct efforts to end the war and establish lasting peace in Sudan. The source emphasized that Burhan was unbothered by the sanctions and continues to carry out his duties diligently.

The Sudanese Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Thursday condemning the sanctions on Burhan, labeling them unjustified.

Similarly, the Sudanese military released a statement denouncing the US Treasury's decision, calling it an unfair measure. The statement rejected any actions targeting military leaders and asserted that such decisions would not deter the military from fulfilling “its legal and constitutional duties to defend the nation, its people and its territorial integrity against mercenaries and collaborators.”

Over the past 21 months, the Sudanese military has been accused of widespread violations, including extensive use of airstrikes that have targeted civilian infrastructure, such as homes and displacement centers.

The military’s air operations have struck areas across Khartoum, Gezira, Sennar, Darfur and Kordofan. 

Over the past year, the military repeatedly shelled areas surrounding the Nyala Airport in South Darfur, with some shells striking residential neighborhoods in the city, resulting in civilian casualties. In October, the military also targeted populated neighborhoods in Gezira’s Wad Madani.

In one instance, the military mistakenly bombed the Sixth Infantry Division’s command center in Fasher.

The military has also been accused of committing abuses in territories under its control, including politically motivated arrests and detentions based on ethnicity.