Sudan Nashra: Sudanese military in pursuit of Russian arms | Washington re-engages with Sudan after diplomatic apathy | Military turns to heavy airstrikes

As the war in Sudan continues with no halt in fighting or political resolution in sight, the Sudanese military has taken steps over the past week to pivot its external alliances toward the eastern bloc powers of Russia and China, along with their ally Iran, in pursuit of arms and political backing.   

These maneuvers have prompted Washington to reassess its stance and once again engage with the Sudanese crisis after maintaining a reserved diplomatic approach to the situation. This shift was evident in a phone call between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Sudanese Transitional Sovereignty Council Chairperson and Sudanese Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan on Tuesday, during which Blinken urged a return to talks in Jeddah. However, though Burhan outlined diplomatic conditions for such a return, according to a senior government source familiar with the call's details, his deputy chairman Malik Agar launched an unprecedented and forceful critique of Washington on Wednesday, effectively closing the door on a return to the Jeddah talks in the fourteenth month of the war.

On the ground, Fasher remains the key battleground. The clashes in Fasher, which began in early May, have seen the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) cut off food supply lines, seize water resources, and control crop distribution, all of which have placed those living inside the city in a dire humanitarian situation. 

Since July 2023, the RSF has extended their control over a large expanse in northeastern Darfur along the national road connecting the region to Obeid, disrupting food supplies from South Darfur after the capture of Nyala. The tightening of control over Darfur intensified in January, and military operations escalated with the capture of Tawila and Kabkabiya before launching an assault on the remaining military stronghold of Fasher on May 10.   

Since then, the RSF has attacked the city from three directions. RSF generals have arrived from various locations across the country with their eyes set on Fasher as a "war prize,” a trader in the city told Mada Masr. Information leaked to RSF combat units indicates that significant capital from Omdurman has been funneled into Fasher since the war's outbreak, the source said. 

Using military siege tactics as a means to breach Fasher’s defenses, the RSF have also incorporated offensive strategies involving weapon deployment into their broader plan to depopulate the city and secure its perimeter.   

Fasher has sustained significant damage from the RSF’s indiscriminate firing of Katyusha rockets and Kornet missiles, with civilian facilities set ablaze and healthcare infrastructure damaged.   

In West Kordofan, violent clashes have erupted once again in Babanusa, the Messiria tribe’s most important territory on the border with South Sudan and a key military site. Following weeks of relative calm, Babanusa has seen a resurgence of confrontations since Monday, with the military staunchly defending its stronghold, the 22nd Division. Over the months of fighting in the city, local administration has insisted that the military maintains its positions for various reasons, including securing the border with South Sudan and protecting oil fields.   

As ground confrontations oscillate between advances and retreats, the military’s air force has conducted extensive operations throughout the country. Bolstered by recent military reinforcements, the Sudanese Air Force conducted extensive strikes on RSF positions, including in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, according to military sources who spoke to Mada Masr.

***

The Sudanese military turns eastward

Grappling with a severe shortage of advanced weaponry and with all avenues of support closed off, Burhan has made a decisive move by turning toward Moscow for assistance. The military requires advanced weapons to enable it to reclaim the vast areas under RSF control. In the new administrative capital and coastal city of Port Sudan, the military has begun hosting security and military delegations, while dispatching envoys to neighboring and allied countries in search of military aid.  

Russia did not wait for Burhan's visit but, instead, sent a military and diplomatic delegation to meet with him several weeks ago, initiating arrangements to provide military supplies. This development was referenced by the Sudanese Armed Forces Assistant Commander-in-Chief Yasser al-Atta in a television interview this week. 

***

Sudanese Air Force in the lead

In May, the Sudanese  Air Force spearheaded an unprecedented surge in offensives, according to a military source at the Wadi Sidna military base. The source said that the operations were conducted across a broad area spanning several states embroiled in military confrontations.

In Khartoum State, the armed forces conducted airstrikes targeting RSF positions, including their military sites on the state’s outskirts.   

Airstrikes intensified on May 16 with assaults on RSF positions in the Gaili area in northern Khartoum, and in the center of Bahri city, resulting in the destruction of the Baraha Hospital — a facility used by the RSF as a stronghold and field hospital. The industrial area in Bahri and the vicinity of the Armored Corps in Khartoum were also targeted. Moreover, military sources told Mada Masr that the armed forces conducted intense bombing operations on the eastern and southern parts of Khartoum, completely destroying RSF sites.   

In Gezira State in central Sudan, the military carried out extensive airstrikes in the southeast of the state, targeting RSF military positions and assembly points. These airstrikes mark the most severe attacks since the onset of the battles in Gezira on April 5. 

The White Nile State, which borders the states of Gezira and Khartoum, was not spared from the airstrikes, which destroyed RSF military sites along the border with Gezira.   

Furthermore, military aircraft flew over North Kordofan State, targeting RSF logistical supply locations. A field military source told Mada Masr that the armed forces targeted weapons and ammunition warehouses, and intercepted RSF units en route from Gezira and Khartoum to North Darfur to join the battles in Fasher. 

Similarly, North Darfur State witnessed airstrikes targeting three locations and localities where RSF forces were stationed, according to a military field source.   

Conversely, an RSF field source told Mada Masr that military aircraft struck residential areas and service facilities. The source added that “this behavior” suggests that the military leadership is determined to reach a point of no return and close off any possibility of political negotiation. The source further said that this approach reflects deliberate political intransigence, focusing only on escalating military pressure on the RSF which controls key military sites.   

A military source told Mada Masr that the intensified airstrikes come with increased foreign military supplies, amid heightened political efforts to ensure a steady flow of military supplies in various capacities. Additionally, there is a renewed focus on the revival of the domestic military industry in different regions of the country, details of which were not disclosed by the source.

A field commander told Mada Masr that the military’s strategies shifted toward offensive operations and territorial expansion at the start of the year, coupled with extensive logistical preparations and adjustments in command and control methods. This transition was evident in the battles of Omdurman and Babanusa, as well as in the states of Gezira, White Nile, and North Kordofan.   

Another military source told Mada Masr that the armed forces’ logistical support centers, which support domestic military manufacturing, have been bolstered by external protocols signed by Sudan. According to an informed military source, Sudan has acquired both advanced and conventional weaponry from China and Russia, without disclosing details regarding military supplies from Iran.

However, another military source told Mada Masr that the drones employed in the battles in Khartoum are Iranian-manufactured Mohajer-6 models.   

In a televised interview, Atta expressed Sudan’s willingness to permit Russia to establish a refueling station in Sudan, demonstrating a flexible approach to engaging with the country. According to a military source, the protocols and military cooperation between Sudan and Russia allow the Sudanese Armed Forces to acquire weapons from Russia, in addition to maintenance equipment and spare parts for military aircraft.

***

Diplomatic maneuvers 

A Sudanese diplomatic source told Mada Masr that the Foreign Ministry, led by Hussein Awad Ali, held assessment meetings in Beijing this week. The deliberations involved evaluating overall diplomatic stances toward the Sudanese crisis, exploring avenues for cooperation in international arenas, and bolstering the Sudanese-Chinese partnership in economic and trade fields. 

Following the death of the Iranian president and foreign minister, Ali visited Tehran to offer official condolences on May 25. However, the visit also entailed meetings with Iran’s interim president and foreign minister and other senior officials. A diplomatic source told Mada Masr that the Iranian side reiterated their respect for Sudan's sovereignty and their commitment to providing the necessary support for Sudan's stability and territorial integrity. 

In December 2023, flights between Port Sudan and Tehran commenced. While details regarding the nature of these visits from Tehran were not disclosed by a source from the Sudanese Civil Aviation Authority who spoke to Mada Masr, a security source previously indicated Iranian support for Sudan in terms of logistical supplies. The source also told Mada Masr that the military provisions coming from Iran constitute no diplomatic infractions or threats to peace and security. 

As the Sudanese state turned increasingly eastward, Burhan received a phone call from Blinken on Tuesday. According to a source familiar with the call’s details, the discussion revolved around strategies to halt the war and address the humanitarian crisis in Sudan, with Blinken urging Burhan to resume talks in Jeddah. 

The source told Mada Masr that Burhan declined to go to Jeddah unless the agreements from prior negotiation rounds were implemented and the RSF ceased their violations in the states of Gezira, North Darfur and Khartoum. 

Burhan expressed his frustration during the call regarding the US’ lack of seriousness in exerting tangible pressure on the RSF, stating that the US has not fulfilled its mediation role to ensure the implementation of previous agreements. 

In a press statement at a conference in Port Sudan, Agar criticized the tone adopted by Blinken in his phone call with Burhan. Addressing a gathering of civil and community entities, Agar stated that they would not proceed to Jeddah without concrete commitments from the mediators to implement the outcomes of previous negotiation rounds. 

"They can send our dead bodies to Jeddah if they insist," Agar said, indicating a steadfast stance for a military resolution. 

A sovereign source told Mada Masr that Agar is set to lead the Sudanese delegation to Russia for the African-Russian summit, accompanied by the ministers of finance, foreign affairs and defense. The source further said that Agar will engage in extensive discussions regarding a set of agreements with the Russian side.

***

No safe place for civilians in Fasher

In Fasher, the capital of the Darfur region, the situation is approaching a breaking point as clashes escalate between the military and allied armed movements on one side, and the RSF and affiliated militias on the other. Throughout the week, combat in the city led to a surge in displacement and casualties among civilians, while international organizations warned of the deteriorating conditions. 

For weeks now, the RSF has been attempting to capture Fasher, the military’s last strategic stronghold. Despite amassing troops and combat vehicles, their endeavors have been thwarted by staunch resistance from the military and allied armed movements, inflicting substantial losses within the RSF’s ranks.  

A field source told Mada Masr that intense battles broke out in the Wehda neighborhood in the eastern part of the city on Monday. The joint force of military-aligned armed movements repelled the RSF, who had resorted to indiscriminate shelling of civilian residences and facilities.  

However, according to the source, the most intense clashes took place in the Golo reservoir area west of Fasher, before it was ultimately reclaimed by the military and allied armed movements.  

The Golo reservoir supplies 20 percent of Fasher's water needs. 

Confrontations escalated on Sunday in the Golo reservoir area following the deployment of RSF-affiliated fighters, led by Ali Rizgallah, known as "Savanna," who released a video declaring the capture of the reservoir and the disruption of water supply to Fasher.  

However, Darfur Governor Minni Arko Minnawi declared the recapture of the reservoir by the joint force of armed movements the following day. Minnawi condemned the RSF for cutting off the sole water source that sustains Fasher. 

"RSF militias documented as they cut off water supply for [Fasher] which hosts millions of people. With this behavior, they speak of democracy. It is regrettable that they are funded by United Nations member states,” Minnawi tweeted on X. 

The military conducted airdrops of new equipment for the Sixth Infantry Division and carried out intensive airstrikes on RSF concentrations east of Fasher and in the cities of Kutum and Kabkabiya, as well as the Um Siyala area in North Darfur state.

Conversely, the RSF stated on Wednesday that the military’s aircraft targeted hospitals and residential neighborhoods in Kabkabiya, Kutum, and Um Siyala in North Darfur, resulting in dozens of civilian deaths and injuries, including among women and children.  

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) declared that hundreds of thousands of civilians are facing increasingly dire humanitarian conditions, exacerbated by the lack of electricity and water supply in many parts of the city.  

OCHA stated on Tuesday that it had received deeply concerning reports indicating that medical facilities, displaced persons' camps, and vital civilian infrastructure in the city had been impacted by the hostilities.  

The displacement of Abu Shouk camp's residents has become inevitable, according to three field sources who spoke to Mada Masr. The ongoing attacks by the RSF targeting civilians and the camp are part of their military tactics, the sources said. During the week, the camp's infrastructure suffered significant damage, particularly to homes and local markets that provided sustenance to residents. As the camp turned into a battleground between the joint force and the RSF, according to a camp resident who spoke to Mada Masr, residents were forced to seek refuge in schools and preschools in the southern and southwestern parts of the city. 

The source noted extreme challenges in accessing water and food supplies, with some families facing severe hurdles in leaving the city due to the RSF-imposed siege, rendering them vulnerable to arrests and death amid military assaults.  

The International Organization for Migration estimated that the conflict in Fasher had displaced nearly 58,000 people since April 1, 2024. Many individuals, including children and the elderly, are unable or prevented from moving to safer areas.  

Médecins Sans Frontieres stated on Wednesday that the fighting in Fasher “leaves no safe place for civilians in the city as patients and medical staff are increasingly becoming part of the staggering civilian toll.” 

***

Renewed clashes in Babanusa 

In the city of Babanusa in West Kordofan State, the RSF launched new waves of attacks on Monday targeting the military’s 22nd Infantry Division. The division repelled the assault, inflicting losses on the RSF.   

Since January, the RSF has been attempting to capture the division in Babanusa. However, the soldiers and mobilized civilians have managed to repel the repeated assaults and push back the attacking forces to more distant and less high-risk areas.   

A field source told Mada Masr that the RSF’s recent and most intense attack in weeks was met with military aircraft and heavy weapon fire, leading to their retreat.  

The city witnessed an unprecedented mass exodus as residents fled the clashes, seeking refuge in the city of Fula and other safer areas within the state.   

The RSF released video footage showing the release of military prisoners in Babanusa, while the armed forces aired videos of the burial of RSF fighters killed in the recent Babanusa battle. A senior military officer stated that these actions align with religious values, customs, and international humanitarian law.