Sudan Nashra: Fasher’s decisive battle on standby | High-profile Russian delegation in eastern Sudan | Sudan, UAE in diplomatic showdown

In the second year of Sudan’s war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the city of Fasher, the historic capital of Darfur, has become one of the most critical battlegrounds. 

The outcomes of the imminent battle could potentially sever the region from the central government's control, should the RSF succeed in capturing Fasher, evoking echoes of history dating back to 1916 when the British colonial administration first annexed and then integrated the region into the Sudanese state.

The magnitude and significance of the anticipated clash in Fasher are evident, as the RSF has deployed thousands of fighters and military vehicles from Chad, while the Sudanese military conducts airdrops in their last stronghold in Darfur. 

However, beneath the surface of military maneuvers lies a complex tapestry of ethnic rivalries fueling the imminent confrontation between armed groups and the RSF. Tribal tensions cast a long shadow over the conflict, underscoring the deep-seated tribal dynamics at play between the two parties.

Against a backdrop of uncertainty, the city of Fasher wakes up each morning to the looming specter of the incursion by the RSF, who have amassed around 3,000 four-wheel-drive vehicles, half of which crossed over from the Chadian border, in locations around the city. These unregistered vehicles have been fitted with light and heavy weaponry intended for the assault.

Meanwhile, the outskirts of Fasher have been transformed into a wasteland as the RSF has set fire to around 12 villages in the Tawila locality and Malit since the end of March, resulting in the displacement of around 50,000 citizens into Fasher. The RSF has targeted water reservoir dams that have left the city’s residents grappling with thirst. Food, water and medical supplies are also not able to reach the city from other parts of Sudan, as the RSF has cut off the Malit-Fasher supply route. 

As the RSF’s shells strike the city throughout the day, the wounded are left without access to medical supplies or even basic first aid.

Meanwhile, the Sudanese military and its allied armed movements have no choice but to engage in the decisive battle to prevent the region from slipping out of their control, potentially leading to a protracted loss of the Darfur armed movements' territory. 

In preparation for this critical battle, the military continues to reinforce its troops in the Sixth Infantry Division via airdrops. Simultaneously, the armed movements are securing advanced defenses within the city, receiving a convoy of combat vehicles arriving from the Zaghawa desert. The armed movements are gearing up to launch an offensive from these advanced defenses to secure vital areas and establish new supply routes to avert the threat of famine in the city.

Shifting focus back to central Sudan, particularly Gezira State, the pace of military operations has subsided in the past week. In anticipation of the fall’s rain season and potential flooding, Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has instructed several companies to construct new roads connecting the states of Kassala, Sinnar, and White Nile as alternative routes to those in Gezira, in which military operations are expected to continue until the fall season.

In the war-ravaged Sudanese capital of Khartoum, the military has intensified its offensive via combat drones, with the past week witnessing the largest military operations to date. Video footage released by the armed forces, as well as reports from military sources who spoke to Mada Masr, indicate that the drones currently in use are more advanced than those employed in prior military operations in Khartoum. 

On the other hand, the RSF launched attacks on the Merowe airbase and the Merowe civilian airport in northern Sudan, employing three drones that were intercepted by the Sudanese air defense, according to eyewitnesses who spoke to Mada Masr. Subsequently, the military conducted aerial surveillance over the vicinity of Merowe for a duration of three hours on April 26.

Politics are also playing a significant role in the rapidly evolving developments in Sudan as the nation teeters on the brink of collapse. Port Sudan recently hosted a high-profile Russian delegation, who stressed that sovereign and political legitimacy lie with the Sudanese military and the Transitional Sovereignty Council. Led by the Russian deputy foreign minister and comprising Kremlin officials and business figures, the Russian delegation met with Burhan, Armed Forces Deputy Commander-in-Chief Shams Eddin al-Kabbashi, Transitional Sovereignty Council Deputy Chair Malik Agar, and several ministers. 

***

Fasher battle on standby awaiting orders

At three military sites in the vicinity of Fasher, the RSF has mobilized its troops from across Darfur, with partial withdrawals in the northern and western regions of Kordofan. 

According to a local source in North Darfur State who spoke to Mada Masr, the RSF has gathered all its combat forces in Darfur in preparation for an assault on Fasher. 

The source said that, following the battles in Obeid last week, RSF units in parts of North Darfur have redeployed toward the Laeit Gar Ennabi locality, approximately 10 hours southwest of Fasher. Additionally, some of these forces have gathered in the Manwashi area, about 1.5 hours south of Fasher, while others, a military source in Fasher told Mada Masr, have regrouped in Malit, which is considered the entry point to Fasher from the north.

Military sources in Fasher told Mada Masr that the number of military vehicles may exceed 2,000, with sightings of several entering Geneina from the Chadian border.

A local source in the Chadian city of Abeche told Mada Masr that the city has become a new military supply route, replacing Um Jaras, where Zaghawa tribal elders have prohibited the passage of any trucks or vehicles to Sudan. 

The source added that over 700 four-wheel-drive vehicles have entered the city. The source says the vehicles look brand new and do not have any license plates.

The Sudanese state had previously accused the United Arab Emirates of supplying the RSF with military equipment through Chad, a claim that has been confirmed by independent reporting.

RSF military and field commanders have also converged from various regions in Kordofan, where several combat units withdrew from the vicinity of Babanusa in West Kordofan State and Um Rawaba in North Kordofan State, heading toward North Darfur State.

Another military source in the field told Mada Masr that RSF field commanders, some of whom hail from Darfur’s states, like Salah al-Futi and Moussa Angar, have also headed to areas where RSF troops are stationed.

Within Fasher, the city has transformed into a fortress in preparation for the war, marked by a significant armament buildup. "The coming battles may resemble doomsday," a resident in Fasher told Mada Masr, describing the city's escalating tensions since the start of April. 

The resident added that military convoys continue to arrive, while others conduct surveillance operations, with frequent airdrops of military supplies and military aircrafts monitoring RSF’s locations.

A medical source in Fasher told Mada Masr that there is a general shortage of medications, warning that kidney patients and individuals with chronic diseases face heightened fatality risk amid the outbreak of epidemics, such as malaria and cholera. 

The overcrowding situation in the city, which now hosts over a million people, poses significant challenges for healthcare facilities looking to provide adequate care to residents. However, an official from Darfur’s Health Ministry told Mada Masr that the federal ministry has delivered medications and essential supplies for kidney patients to all of Darfur’s cities.

***

Limited military advancement in Khartoum as siege on Gaili refinery continues

Military confrontations persist on the frontlines in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF, with the Shagara military zone in the south emerging as a focal point of conflict last week. 

Limited clashes in the Lamab area between the Armored Corps and the RSF troops stationed there resulted in casualties on both sides.

A field source told Mada Masr that the military’s Armored Corps units advanced northward toward the Lamab neighborhood after launching an assault on RSF positions and seizing control of the City College of Science and Technology building, where the RSF was entrenched, after destroying several of their combat vehicles.

The source said that four military personnel were killed, including volunteer “mobilized” soldiers who joined the military’s ranks upon Burhan’s call to arms last year, and several others were injured. Casualties within the RSF’s ranks were also reported. 

RSF fighters maintain their presence in the northern areas of Lamab and the Rowad residential compound, serving as operational bases with artillery platforms targeting the military’s Armored Corps and other military sites.

Since the outbreak of war in mid-April last year, the Shagara military zone, housing the Armored Corps and the military industrial complex, has been a consistent target of RSF attacks. Failing to capture the area and suffering significant losses, the RSF retreated and entrenched themselves in the surrounding residential neighborhoods in an attempt to disrupt supply lines. However, the armed forces have managed to deliver supplies through airdrops and via the White Nile route connecting the area to military-controlled sites in Omdurman.

In the northernmost region of Khartoum, the Gaili oil refinery area in Bahri saw direct confrontations wane, with a shift toward artillery shelling and limited skirmishes following recent military advances aimed at recapturing the refinery. 

A military source told Mada Masr that the armed forces have successfully pushed back the RSF's advanced defense positions, forcing them to retreat to the areas surrounding the refinery, which has been under siege from multiple directions.

The source added that the military plans to intensify the siege, focusing on artillery and drone strikes to weaken the RSF’s defenses before launching extensive ground offensives.

In other parts of the capital, a noticeable calm prevails, with residents in Omdurman who spoke to Mada Masr noting a return of some civilians, particularly in areas where water and electricity have been restored.

Furthermore, the residents said that the military police have been conducting raids and pursuing individuals dressed in military uniforms who have been looting abandoned homes and selling the stolen furniture in markets, sparking terror and panic among the local population in those areas.

***

Fighting escalates in Gezira

Fighting has intensified in Gezira State in central Sudan as Transitional Sovereign Council member and Deputy Commander-in-Chief Shams Eddin Kabbashi visited the advanced defense positions of his forces on several fronts. These forces have been actively engaged in military operations to reclaim the state, which fell under the RSF’s control in December following the military’s withdrawal.

Military sources told Mada Masr that armed forces units from Faw in the east have made significant advancements along two main axes. The first, referred to as Major 5, managed to reach Wad al-Mahidi and Wad al-Obeid. The second axis left from the Khayari area and engaged in intense clashes with RSF troops inflicting losses upon the paramilitary’s equipment and personnel, forcing them to retreat toward the Shabarga area near Wad Madani, the capital of Gezira.

The military, backed by armed movements, popular resistance formations, and volunteer “mobilized” groups, is engaged on three main fronts to retake Gezira from the RSF: the Managil front advancing from the west, the Sinnar front from the south, and the Faw front from the east. The Sinnar and Managil axes did not witness intense confrontations last week, unlike the Faw front. 

Following the capture of Madina Arab by the advancing military forces from Managil, sources told Mada Masr that only qualitative operations and limited skirmishes ensued with the RSF, while battles subsided in the south around the sugar factory villages in Sinnar, though artillery exchanges continue.

Amid the ongoing battle in Gezira, Kabbashi conducted inspection visits to the state’s frontlines, as well as in the neighboring states of Sinnar and White Nile. In statements to the press, Kabbashi stressed that Gezira’s liberation is a strategic goal and that ensuring stability for citizens and delivering essential services are top priorities for the central government.

Meanwhile, the RSF continued to commit heinous crimes against civilians within the state. Residents told Mada Masr that RSF fighters killed two villagers from Um Daliba village in the Abu Qouta administrative unit on Tuesday after they resisted looting and assaults.

Furthermore, resistance committees in Wad Madani reported, in a recent statement, ongoing looting in Gezira by the RSF which controls the majority of the state. They further added that the RSF terrorizes women and children, indiscriminately fires at people, and arrests and tortures citizens, demanding large sums in exchange for their release.

The resistance committees in Wad Madani also reported an increase in the looting of crops and livestock by the RSF, exacerbating the hardships faced by local residents. They also noted civilian casualties resulting from the military’s airstrikes on Wad Madani, as well as the presence of bandits along highways who steal the remaining belongings of fleeing civilians.

***

High-profile Russian diplomatic delegation in eastern Sudan

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister and Special Envoy to the Middle East and Africa Mikhail Bogdanov arrived in Port Sudan on Sunday. Leading a delegation of officials from the foreign and defense ministries, Bogdanov engaged in a two-day visit that involved meetings with Burhan, Kabbashi, Agar, and several civil and social leaders.

Informed military sources told Mada Masr that the Russian defense delegation is expected to extend their stay at the Flamingo naval base in eastern Sudan.

During their visit, the Russian delegation discussed strategies to enhance mutual cooperation in the energy sector, defense industries, and collaboration in international forums.

Bogdanov reiterated his country's support for Sudan's sovereignty, unity, and its legitimate institutions — referring to the Transitional Sovereignty Council — stating that the delegation's visit reflects this stance.

Bogdanov criticized the approach of Western powers, which he said believed they unilaterally control global affairs and determine the fate of nations, as evidenced in proceedings and conferences they hold on sovereign states’ matters without their participation, as seen in the Paris conference.

According to informed sources, the visit falls within the framework of bilateral relations between the two countries and Russia's role in international forums, underlining their backing of Sudan and its lawful state institutions. 

Ousted Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir inked several cooperation protocols with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin during the 2017 Sochi Summit, one of which involved the establishment of a military base in the Red Sea. However, Burhan suspended this project upon assuming the presidency of the Transitional Military Council.

Since 2017, numerous Russian companies have entered the gold mining sector in northern and western Sudan, as well as along the Red Sea, amid accusations against Russia of gold smuggling in collusion with Sudanese entities.

Bogdanov met with Sudanese Minerals Minister Mohamed Bashir Abu Namou, affirming the ongoing cooperation between the ministry and its Russian counterpart. 

***

Sudan calls for UN Security Council meeting over ‘UAE aggression’

A senior official in the Sudanese Foreign Ministry told Mada Masr that Sudan requested an urgent session of the United Nations Security Council to address the issue of "the United Arab Emirate’s aggression against the Sudanese people" and its alleged backing and financing of the RSF in military operations against the Sudanese Armed Forces.

The request was submitted on April 25 following a memorandum from Sudan's Permanent Representative to the United Nations al-Harith Idriss to the Security Council, prompting his Emirati counterpart to, in turn, submit a memorandum to the UNSC denying involvement in supporting any of Sudan’s warring parties. 

The Sudanese military leadership, notably Assistant Commander-in-Chief Yasser al-Atta, labeled the UAE as a "mafia state" last year, sparking a diplomatic standoff between the two countries.

Sudan’s Permanent Mission to the UN argues that the UAE's support for the RSF makes it a key accomplice in this aggression.

However, the UAE dismissed what they described as Sudan's allegations of funding the war, stating that "all allegations of the UAE's involvement in any form of aggression or destabilization in Sudan, or its provision of military, logistical, financial, or political support to any faction in Sudan, are spurious, unfounded, and lack any credible evidence to support them."

The UN Security Council session, initially scheduled for April 29, has been postponed to May. 

Idriss said in statements to Sudanese state television that the postponement was due to procedural issues regarding availability of translation.

Idriss emphasized that the postponement would not prevent the condemnation of the UAE, reiterating Sudan’s commitment to pursuing diplomatic measures against UAE's support for the RSF.