Sudan Nashra: Cairo dismisses Hemedti’s claims of war involvement, describes him as ‘militia leader’ | Military recaptures last RSF stronghold in Blue Nile

Eighteen months into Sudan’s war, as the military advances and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) fall back across multiple battlefronts, Rapid Support Forces (RSF) leader Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo admitted his forces’ defeat at the strategic Jebel Moya front in Sennar State in central Sudan.

Hemedti, however, blamed the defeat on Egyptian military air support for the Sudanese Armed Forces, while accusing multiple parties of fueling the conflict. 

Egypt’s Foreign Ministry dismissed Hemedti’s claims.

Meanwhile, and as military operations escalate in Khartoum, North Darfur and Sennar, the United States imposed new sanctions on RSF leaders, this time adding Hemedti’s brother, Al-Gouny Hamdan Dagalo Moussa, to the list.  

This week also saw the Sudanese Armed Forces secure more territorial gains. On Wednesday, the military announced the recapture of Jariwa in the Blue Nile State, the last RSF stronghold in the region.

Meanwhile, fighting continues in Khartoum, specifically in the Mogran and Shagara military areas, since the armed forces launched their major ground operation into the capital on September 26. 

In the west, battles persist outside Fasher in North Darfur while the RSF continues to shell the city. In West Darfur, the military-allied armed movements’ joint force seized key areas, paving the way to capture the state’s capital city, Geneina.

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Hemedti accuses Egypt of involvement in war 

In a recorded speech on Wednesday, Hemedti dragged Egypt into the Sudanese conflict by accusing it of direct involvement in recent battles. He claimed the Egyptian air force had bombed his forces at Jebel Moya during the battles on October 5, marking the second time since the war began that he has leveled such accusations against Cairo. In May, Hemedti told Asharq News that the Egyptian Air Force targeted RSF troops in the Karrari locality in Omdurman. 

In Wednesday’s speech, which carried a tone of defeat, Hemedti blamed both domestic and international actors for stoking the war. He used vulgar language to describe Sudanese military leaders and held the international community accountable for the conflict, citing the framework agreement signed on December 5, 2022, as the war’s trigger.

Hemedti's attack on Egypt included allegations of continuous airstrikes on his forces from 3 am to 10  am on Saturday in Jebel Moya. That same day, the Sudanese military recaptured the strategic area after four days of fighting, which would enable their forces to advance across several states and cut off RSF supply lines in central Sudan.

A source in the military’s high command dismissed Hemedti’s speech, saying it no longer carried weight for the military leadership. The source told Mada Masr that the war had moved beyond the narrative Hemedti was pushing, with Sudan now facing a new political and social reality, entering a new era. 

The source explained that the military had initiated its Jebel Moya operation with ground units before air support was deployed, with the air force joining in the early hours to cover ground forces and target specific locations.

On another front, the source refuted claims Hemedti made about the Fashaga triangle – the site of border tensions between Ethiopia and Sudan – noting that the military situation there does not match his account. 

In his speech, Hemedti claimed to have asked Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed not to launch attacks on the Fashaga border region, citing Sudan’s circumstances during the ongoing war. 

However, the source in the high command said that the Sudanese military had repelled attacks on its positions in Fashaga, and that Ethiopian federal forces had not been present in the region since 2022. Instead, only small Ethiopian border security units are stationed there, the source said. 

The source noted that Ethiopia’s strategy was not to enter Fashaga, but rather to rely on the potential collapse of the Sudanese military.

The source also noted that Ahmed has revised his oppositional stance toward the Sudanese military which he had held at the start of the war. This shift, according to the source, is a result of what the source described as the “Ethiopians’ clear understanding of the Sudanese military’s capabilities.” The source added that Hemedti and his supporters underestimate the military’s strength, and while some countries had indeed supported the military, it was “only within the framework of military protocols observed by any sovereign military force on its own soil,” the source said.

Cairo denies Hemedti’s accusations

Shortly after Hemedti accused Cairo, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry issued a statement refuting his claims regarding Egyptian Air Force’s involvement in the ongoing battles in Sudan.

The statement said that "these allegations come amid Egypt’s vigorous efforts to halt the war, protect civilians, and bolster international responses to humanitarian relief plans for those affected by the conflict in Sudan."

In rejecting the accusations, the ministry also called on the international community “to inspect the evidence for the allegations made by the RSF militia leader." The ministry reiterated its commitment to Sudan’s security, stability, and unity vowing to spare no effort in providing support to the country to cope with the severe damages caused by the war.

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US sanctions target Hemedti’s brother

As fighting between the Sudanese military and the RSF escalates, the US imposed sanctions on Al-Gouny Hamdan Dagalo Moussa, a  member of the negotiating delegation, the head of the RSF’s financial administration and Hemedti’s brother. 

According to a statement by State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller on Tuesday, the sanctions were imposed for Gouny’s “involvement in RSF efforts to procure weapons and other military material that enabled the RSF’s ongoing operations in Sudan, including the assault in Fasher.”

Miller stated that Gouny’s actions have “fueled the war and brutal RSF atrocities against civilians, which have included war crimes, crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing.” 

The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control issued the sanctions under Executive Order 14098 for Gouny’s role in leading efforts to supply weapons that perpetuate the war in Sudan. 

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Military recaptures final RSF-held area in Blue Nile 

The Sudanese military announced on Wednesday that it had fully recaptured the Jariwa area in the Blue Nile region following a series of operations and intense fighting that dealt heavy losses to the RSF in both equipment and personnel. The military’s victory means that the entire Blue Nile region is now free of RSF presence.

In August, the RSF launched attacks in several areas of the Tadamon locality west of Damazin, the capital of the Blue Nile State, engaging in intense clashes with the military before retreating to Jariwa, leading to significant displacement and a halt in agricultural activities in the village. 

A field source told Mada Masr that the military regained two neighboring villages, Kamrab and Sharasher, near the Rahad locality in Gadarif State. Supported by popular resistance forces and advancing from Rahad, the military launched an intense assault on Wednesday, forcing RSF fighters to flee. The source added that the military captured weapons and ammunition during the operation.

These operations followed significant victories in the strategic Jebel Moya axis. On Saturday, the military declared full control over Jebel Moya after several days of intense fighting, during which the RSF suffered significant losses.

The battle for Jebel Moya broke out late last week after the military advanced from two directions: one from Rabak in the White Nile State and another from Sennar. With the battle's end, the road linking the two cities was reopened, facilitating travel and trade, which would lead to a drop in the soaring prices of goods in the White Nile region.

Following the victory, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese military and Transitional Sovereignty Council member Shams Eddin al-Kabbashi visited Jebel Moya on Monday. Addressing officers and soldiers, he vowed continued military operations until "every inch of the homeland is cleansed of RSF terrorists."

Kabbashi further stated that “the victory will bring stability to the citizens of White Nile, Blue Nile, and Sennar states.”

A military source told Mada Masr that the armed forces have destroyed more than 24 RSF military vehicles in Jebel Moya and seized a large number of combat vehicles, weapons and ammunition.

On Tuesday, the military reported that it had found UAE-made weapons, ammunition and medical supplies in the RSF’s possession in Jebel Moya, stating that the labels on the crates, which were shown in the posted video, provided indisputable evidence of the UAE’s involvement in supporting the RSF.

The Sudanese military and government have repeatedly accused the UAE of fueling the conflict by arming the RSF — accusations that have been corroborated by international human rights organizations and the United Nations Panel of Experts.

The RSF had captured Jebel Moya in June, and subsequently expanded its control over large parts of Sennar, including its capital Singa, and several towns and villages such as Suki, Dindir, Dali, Mazmum, and others.

A military source at the General Staff predicted that the military’s recapture of Jebel Moya would lead to the isolation and siege of RSF troops in eastern, western and southern Sennar after cutting off their main supply route through Jebel Moya.

The source added that the military’s control over the area would also secure supply lines for its forces in the western sector — the camel cavalry and the 18th Infantry Division — while providing a vital route for the flow of goods and medicines to the White Nile, Gezira and Kordofan regions.

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Khartoum battles continue

Fighting in the capital Khartoum continues, particularly in the central Mogran area. Military forces advancing from Omdurman via the White Nile and Fatehab bridges are attempting to reach the Republican Palace and link up with units stationed at the General Command in central Khartoum.

One of the mobilized fighters backing the military told Mada Masr that their forces are still engaged in battles in the Mogran area, destroying several RSF combat vehicles and eliminating snipers positioned on tall buildings. The source noted that the battle could take more time due to the difficulty of movement caused by the widespread presence of RSF snipers.

The source explained that the military is conducting targeted operations and raids on RSF positions to wear them down in a war of attrition before returning to its positions near the Hilton Hotel, April 6 Gardens and the Shaheed Mosque. Airstrikes were conducted on the Arab Market, while drones struck RSF gatherings on the Tuti Island in Mogran, the source added.

A local source on Tuti Island told Mada Masr that RSF fighters have looted food supplies from several shops and prevented residents from leaving the island. They then transported the looted goods, along with armored vehicles and heavy machinery, from the island to central Khartoum.

On the southern Khartoum front, military forces at the Shagara military area are attempting to expand into surrounding territories. This week, the military launched several operations in the Kalakla al-Qalaa area south of the Ammunition Corps, while other forces from the Armored Corps made advances in the Lamab neighborhood.

In Bahri, although the intensity of the clashes has waned, the military reinforced this front with additional troops and military vehicles. Meanwhile, the RSF reinforced its positions in Shambat, ordering residents in neighborhoods along the Nile to evacuate immediately on the pretext of imminent heavy fighting in the area.

A field source told Mada Masr that the military is present in the northern outskirts of Halfaya, Kadro, Azergab and Darushab. The military occasionally conducts targeted operations and infiltrates RSF-controlled areas in Shambat, while continuing to shell RSF positions in the area with airstrikes and guided artillery, the source said.

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Darfur battles extend beyond Fasher 

A military source from the control and command room of the Sixth Infantry Division in Fasher told Mada Masr that clashes in the area have started to diminish, and life is gradually returning to the city, particularly after the military advanced and combed areas in the east and north up to the Malit gate.

Local activist Adam Tigani told Mada Masr that on Sunday, the military, along with the joint force and the popular self-defense forces, engaged in battles with the RSF in the northern and eastern fronts, reclaiming several neighborhoods previously held by the RSF.

At the same time, military-allied armed movements brought in additional military reinforcements to Fasher which were met with celebrations by the local citizens, according to Tigani. He pointed out that many RSF troops withdrew from Fasher after failing to capture the city following intense battles that led to significant losses in their ranks, including their commanders.

A source in the armed movements told Mada Masr that their forces, alongside the military, have recently taken control of the Azama, Beringia and Wahda neighborhoods in Fasher, which were previously under RSF control.

Despite the military and armed movements’ progress in Fasher, the RSF continues to shell the city with heavy artillery, striking civilian homes. The coordination body of Fasher’s Resistance Committees reported that on Monday, RSF shelling of the Abu Shouk camp for the displaced and Naivasha market resulted in 15 deaths and 20 injuries.

Meanwhile, on the Darfur desert front, military-allied armed movements showcased the spoils of the Mado battle, fought over the week against the RSF, noting that they seized dozens of combat vehicles and destroyed the RSF's core forces in Darfur.

Another source in the armed movements told Mada Masr that their forces in West Darfur had taken control of the Sirba and Kulbus areas and sent additional troops and combat vehicles there in preparation for a decisive battle to retake Geneina, the state’s capital.

The source added that the military-allied popular self-defense forces confirmed that the armed movements have taken control of the Sirba locality in West Darfur. They also announced that they have fully secured the Sudanese-Libyan border and partially secured the Sudanese-Chadian border.

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Battlefield shifts

A former Sudanese military officer told Mada Masr that the battlefield in Sudan has witnessed significant shifts after the military’s recent moves in Khartoum, Sennar and Fasher. The RSF has been gradually depleted over the past few months, the source said, and the military is now focusing on creating gaps deep within RSF positions and cutting off its supply lines.

The former officer believes that the military is still in the phase of linking its forces, controlling strategic points and cutting off RSF's supply routes, while strengthening its military standing in preparation for the next phase of battles, aimed at gaining ground and defeating the RSF.

The officer stressed that the emergence of new battlefronts in the Darfur desert and around the cities of Fasher and Geneina will take the conflict to a new level, which will impact the RSF’s control in Khartoum and Kordofan as well as the central and southeastern regions of Sudan.