Sudan Nashra: Sudanese military strengthens alliances with armed movements, shifts strategy to siege in Khartoum | Heightened combat in battlefronts

As the war in Sudan enters its 12th month, the alliances between the Sudanese Armed Forces and key armed movements are further consolidating in their unified position against the Rapid Support Forces. 

Armed movements have gathered thousands of personnel and war equipment to support the military. 

The RSF, who were once fighting against former rebel movements on behalf of the Sudanese government, now find themselves in a direct confrontation with the same groups.

While RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo "Hemedti" continues to be absent from the political and military scene, Sudanese military leaders have increased their public appearances, vowing to soon defeat the RSF and liberate the city of Wad Madani, which was captured by the paramilitary in stunning fashion only a few months ago. 

As the RSF continues to gain new enemies, having made significant military advances over the past ten months, the international community is skeptical about a decisive military resolution for either side of the conflict. Nevertheless, Sudanese military leaders speak confidently about their capacity to achieve a military resolution, despite indications of the imminent resumption of the Jeddah peace talks in April, according to US Special Envoy to Sudan Tom Perriello.

Amid the ongoing clashes in Khartoum, North Darfur, Gezira, and North and West Kordofan, the military continues to gain ground in Omdurman, intensifying its military operations in several areas, while engaging in an exchange of artillery fire with the RSF in the areas adjacent to the Engineers Corps.

In the Signal Corps camp in Bahri’s southernmost region, the Sudanese military forces stationed in the city are engaged in battles for the second consecutive week, repelling over 15 extensive attacks launched by the RSF on the camp. 

Meanwhile, the city of Khartoum simmers in a tense calm. 

Outside the tri-city capital, the RSF is amassing its forces in the vicinity of Fasher, the last Darfuri city in the military’s control. The Sudanese military is mobilizing in Gezira with allied armed movements in the state’s eastern axis. Forces of the Justice and Equality Movement have begun constructing a large military cordon alongside defensive preparations in the Butana Plain.

Fasher is also witnessing military preparations due to disagreements over the entry of food aid through the Port Sudan-Daba-Tina-Fasher route and the convoys of trucks from Chad entering through Adre. 

The RSF previously threatened to block the entry of aid coming from Port Sudan, asserting that they are not bound by or concerned with the agreement reached by Darfur Governor Minni Arko Minnawi with several international organizations. The RSF raised allegations that the military was attempting to smuggle weapons under the guise of humanitarian aid.

Meanwhile, RSF-affiliated media groups are calling for the long-anticipated battle of Fasher to commence.

In the southwest of Sudan, the intensity of military confrontations has subsided in the border town of Babanusa. However, the RSF continues their push to capture the 22nd Infantry Division, which appears to have improved its military position after the introduction of numerous ammunition and military equipment via parachute drops and ground supply from Muglad city in West Kordofan State.

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Fighting intensifies in Bahri

For the past two weeks, the Kadro area north of Bahri city has been the most intense battleground in the fighting in Greater Khartoum. The military has been setting up ambushes for RSF fuel tankers coming from the Gaili oil refinery in the far north of the city. This prompted the RSF to mobilize its troops to open and secure the road. The operation resulted in intense battles that saw the military repel the offensives, inflicting further losses on the RSF.

The military destroyed around eight RSF combat vehicles, in addition to capturing a military vehicle and an Emirati-made armored vehicle, according to field sources who spoke to Mada Masr. The sources also confirmed the killing of a field commander and several RSF soldiers after the military targeted a house where they were taking cover within the area. 

The military’s attempt to close the vital route linking the Gaili oil refinery to the rest of the capital at Kadro  has caused concern for the RSF, as it places pressure on its forces stationed at the refinery and makes it challenging to supply fuel to its troops in the capital and other areas.

In southern Bahri, the intensity of the battles has waned compared to the previous week, which witnessed relentless attacks by the RSF on the Signal Corps and state security buildings. The military managed to repel the attacks and force the RSF to retreat.

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The battles for Omdurman

In Omdurman, one of the three cities that make up the capital, the intensity of fighting has declined following the military’s capture of the old city and the radio and television headquarters on March 12. The military has also established a logistical link between the military areas in northern and southern Omdurman. 

However, the military continues to mobilize its forces, with new reinforcements arriving from the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) led by Darfur Governor Minni Minnawi.

At the onset of the ongoing war, Minnawi had declared his commitment to neutrality. Nevertheless, during his visit to the Karrari military area and, previously, the city of Shendi in northern Sudan, he emphasized that ending the war and achieving peace is contingent on the Sudanese people’s will to put an end to the rebellion and to bear arms against the RSF, which he described as terrorist militias that loot citizens' properties.

Omdurman witnessed limited skirmishes and operations in the vicinity of Wad al-Bashir bridge and some side streets in the Ombada area last week, according to Mada Masr observations. Artillery shelling from the Wadi Sidna base on RSF targets continued in the west and south of the city.

Military field commanders and experts suggest that the armed forces should continue with their strategy in the battles of Ombada, west of the city, and Salha to the south, with the aim of cutting off the RSF’s main supply line from Darfur and Kordofan.

A senior officer in the Sudanese Armed Forces told Mada Masr that the military established permanent supply lines with its stations within Khartoum State. This move came after the military managed to break the siege on the Engineers Corps, which had lasted for over ten months and had the greatest impact on the other locations in the capital, including the General Command and Armored Corps. The officer noted that the Engineers Corps not only serves as the central supply and communication point, but is also the sole evacuation point for the wounded.

The officer further explained that regaining the supply line between the Karrari military area and the Engineers Corps allows for operational flexibility in compensating for personnel, weapons, ammunition, and medical supplies. 

The senior military officer ruled out an expansive military attack to clear Omdurman or other military areas, as it may deplete its forces. The fighting of the past year, the source said, has shown that a siege, despite its extended duration, is more effective considering that the RSF is not trained in fortification and adapting to different types of sieges.

In the same context, military and strategic expert Amin Magzoub told Mada Masr that the armed forces are employing new tactics and strategies suitable for urban warfare in the battles of old Omdurman. The military relies on encirclement, siege and attrition, leading either to the enemy's withdrawal, or the armed forces attacking and destroying the RSF in its weakest state.

Magzoub also suggested that the military will carry on with the same strategy, fighting on simultaneous fronts in both Khartoum and Bahri, while prioritizing the western and southern areas of Omdurman to cut off the RSF’s supply lines.

Magzoub said that the armed movements’ decision to fight alongside the military in Omdurman had a significant impact on the power balance, as they have experience in hit-and-run operations and combat similar to the tactics employed by the RSF. In addition, their involvement in the combat fronts bolsters morale among the other forces in the capital.

Magzoub also noted that the remaining RSF troops in the capital lack the capacity to lead significant military offensives, citing their recent attacks on the Signal Corps and Armored Corps. He added that the RSF had lost its core of experienced soldiers in previous battles throughout the year, and now they are talking about negotiations, ceasefires, and making a shift toward defensive rather than offensive operations.

Meanwhile, the Ombada area, specifically neighborhood 29 in the Hawawir quarter, saw the RSF attack residents on Tuesday, resulting in the deaths of three locals and injuries to several others. Resistance committees in the area reported that Ombada remains under siege, with the RSF indiscriminately and intensively firing at residents, causing casualties and the arrest of 15 young individuals from the area.

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The military intensifies airstrikes in Darfur

A government source in Fasher city told Mada Masr that concerns persist regarding the military and security situation in North Darfur State. 

The RSF are mobilizing heavy military equipment and vehicles in the vicinity of the eastern and northeastern neighborhoods. 

A field source from the Sixth Infantry Division told Mada Masr that the RSF’s military mobilization has significantly escalated compared to previous weeks, with a reinforced presence in the eastern neighborhoods, where the RSF launches its attacks on the Sudanese Armed Forces’ division.

To the north of Fasher, the military conducted 10 airstrikes on strategic storage sites. The airstrikes primarily focused on the Malit area, where the RSF are attempting to cut off the state's supply lines, according to a military source who spoke to Mada Masr.

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In North and West Kordofan, the Sudanese military conducted airstrikes throughout the week. Senior military sources told Mada Masr that the armed forces’ objective is to eliminate any RSF storage facilities or bases in the two states, while also cutting off military supplies routes used by the RSF to provision their troops in Khartoum and Gezira.

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Humanitarian aid war

Beyond the armed conflicts, a separate battle between the two warring parties is unfolding concerning the delivery of humanitarian aid to Darfur. 

The RSF has threatened to capture trucks that are passing through the Bayuda desert from Daba city in North Darfur State to Fasher, while the military allowed relief supply trucks to proceed to Geneina, which has been under the RSF’s control since November after the fall of the 15th Division. 

Darfur Governor Minni Minnawi announced the arrival of the first shipment of humanitarian aid in Fasher.

Minnawi had visited the River Nile State to monitor the truck route with a convoy from the Darfur joint forces before proceeding to Khartoum. 

The humanitarian aid issue had disrupted the second round of the Jeddah talks, which was halted due to disagreements over the transportation routes.

The round held on November 7 failed to reach an agreement on a ceasefire, mediators indicated at the time. The primary objective of the second Jeddah round was to facilitate discussions between the parties to enhance humanitarian aid, implement confidence-building measures and establish a common communication mechanism.

Despite these efforts, no progress was made on the humanitarian issue. According to a military source familiar with the matter who spoke to Mada Masr, the armed forces committed to facilitating humanitarian aid by expediting customs clearances for shipments, granting multiple entry visas to the Qatari director of aid shipments, and reviewing pending visa applications. The military also provided several other exceptions regarding the presence of personnel in areas affected by epidemics.

Approximately 25 million Sudanese are at risk of famine and food insecurity.

The Sudanese Armed Forces Assistant Commander-in-Chief and member of the Sovereignty Council Ibrahim Gaber visited Gadarif on Monday to assess the state’s food security situation, according to a source in the state government.

Additionally, the military’s Deputy Commander and member of the Sovereignty Council Shams Eddin al-Kabbashi made his first visit to Gadarif on Wednesday, meeting with the eastern region’s leadership. 

According to a military source in the eastern region command who spoke to Mada Masr, Kabbashi's visit comes in preparation for military operations to recapture Wad Madani, the capital of Gezira State, and other areas of Sudan. Kabbashi stated that the current battle is “for the people’s dignity."

Visits to military sites intensified during the current week, with the General Intelligence Service General-Director Ahmed Ibrahim Mufaddal visiting the Maaqil military base north of Khartoum before heading to the Wadi Sidna military base in Omdurman. Intelligence sources suggest that  Operations Authority units — the military arm of the General Intelligence Service — may engage in combat on two fronts, one in north Bahri and the other in Gezira State south of Bahri.