Sudan Nashra: Sudan’s central bank to introduce new banknotes, withdraw 2 | RSF says central bank’s move aims to divide the country | Military strikes Jebel Awliya bridge, disrupts RSF supply lines to central Sudan

In a new front within Sudan’s ongoing conflict, the Central Bank of Sudan announced on Saturday the introduction of a new 1,000-pound banknote set to enter circulation soon and printed in Russia. The existing 1,000-pound and 500-pound notes are to be withdrawn, with citizens urged to deposit them in banks, as they will no longer be valid once the decision is enforced.

The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) rejected the decision, describing it in a statement as part of a scheme to divide the country and called on citizens to disregard the directive.

Meanwhile, Transitional Sovereignty Council Chair Abdel Fattah al-Burhan visited Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan on November 11 and the 12th to attend the Extraordinary Arab-Islamic Summit as well as COP29.

A source familiar with discussions in Riyadh told Mada Masr that Burhan reaffirmed to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman his commitment to implementing the Jeddah Agreement signed on May 11, 2023. He also welcomed any Saudi-led initiatives in line with the agreement, but stressed that military operations against the RSF would persist unless the paramilitary group adheres to the accord. He also rejected any external mediation as long as hostilities continue.

At COP29 in Azerbaijan, Burhan highlighted Sudan’s struggle with both climate change and the devastating impacts of RSF attacks, which have displaced millions of citizens.

On the diplomatic front, Finance Minister and Justice and Equality Movement leader Gibril Ibrahim landed in Tehran on November 7 for several days of talks with Iranian officials, including the finance and foreign ministers. In a bid to strengthen trade ties, a Sudanese trade coordination office is set to be established in Tehran. 

While fostering closer relations with Iran, Ibrahim has adopted a hardline stance against the United Arab Emirates, criticizing it for its  support of the RSF as its military proxy in Sudan.

Despite the sovereignty council’s decision to extend the opening of the Adre border crossing with Chad for humanitarian aid deliveries, Ibrahim opposed the move, arguing it violated Sudanese sovereignty and facilitated the flow of arms to the RSF. Sudan’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Al-Harith Idriss, echoed this concern during a UN Security Council session on Tuesday, reporting that around 30 shipments of arms had passed through the crossing. Nevertheless, on Wednesday, the sovereignty council announced the extension of the crossing’s opening, with Burhan justifying the decision as being based on recommendations from the second humanitarian response conference and the supreme committee for humanitarian affairs.

On the ground, the Sudanese military bombed the Jebel Awliya dam bridge, which links Omdurman and Khartoum. The bridge served as the RSF’s sole supply route, connecting western Sudan to Khartoum, Bahri and central Sudan. A senior military officer told Mada Masr that the strike could signal an imminent, major ground offensive in the capital.

In central Sudan’s Gezira State, the military continues to build up forces along the Faw axis in the east and the Managil axis in the west. Meanwhile, military-allied forces, led by Abu Agla Keikel, made several advances in eastern Gezira.

In the far west, a local source told Mada Masr, the RSF has amassed dozens of combat vehicles and hundreds of fighters — mostly foreign mercenaries — in Geneina, the capital of West Darfur. The source said that this force is preparing for a large-scale assault on Fasher in the coming days. The military, on the other hand, reported downing seven RSF drones over Fasher.

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Sudan’s central bank to introduce new banknotes 

Amid Sudan's ongoing conflict, the Central Bank of Sudan (CBS) announced plans to issue a new 1,000-pound banknote, replacing both the existing note of the same denomination and the 500-pound note. The bank urged citizens to deposit old notes in banks, as they will be invalidated once the decision is enforced.

The RSF opposed the move, urging the public to ignore the directive and claiming it paves the way for Sudan’s division. Banks across the capital Khartoum, many of which are under RSF control, have been extensively looted and vandalized, with footage frequently showing RSF fighters carrying large sums of local and foreign currency. Similar looting of banks has been reported in other major cities, such as Wad Madani and Sennar.

The RSF currently controls the CBS’s headquarters in the Mogran area in western Khartoum, where intense fighting with the Sudanese Armed Forces has continued since September 26.

In a statement on Saturday, the CBS cited its mandate under its 2002 law, explaining that the introduction of the new banknotes aims to protect the national currency, stabilize exchange rates and mitigate the adverse economic impacts of the ongoing war. The bank attributed its decision to widespread RSF-led looting of its facilities, which led to the circulation of currency of unknown origin. This has significantly increased cash liquidity, driving price instability.

Sudan’s black market exchange rate currently stands at around 2,330 Sudanese pounds to the US dollar. This comes in a period of relative stability, following a sharp surge in August when the rate spiked from 1,750 to 3,000 pounds to the dollar. According to a source in the Finance Ministry who spoke to Mada Masr, the fluctuation was due to the fact that companies were failing to deposit export revenues, primarily from transactions with the UAE and China. In response, the government froze the accounts of nearly 250 companies that did not deposit their export earnings, the source said. The CBS regained control over exchange rates by monitoring imports and exports, the source added, and plans were also introduced to boost exports of gold and grains.

Due to the ongoing hostilities, however, exports have been severely impacted, with up to 90 percent of exports from the Sennar and White Nile states brought to a halt and ceasing entirely from the Kordofan and Darfur regions, a source in the CBS told Mada Masr. The small volume of exports that manage to reach markets via land routes represents a negligible fraction of these states’ gross exports in state and federal budgets, the source said.

The source said that the new banknotes were printed in Russia. Both a Russian and a US company submitted bids to print the new currency, but a technical committee ultimately selected the Russian offer, according to the source. 

The introduction of new currency notes and canceling two existing denominations aims to manage the financial crisis triggered by extensive looting of banks and the theft of public and private assets, the central bank source said. Since April 2024, the government has closely monitored currency flows, including in RSF-controlled states, tracking food supplies and banking app money transfers in conflict-affected regions. This surveillance is legal under the country’s anti-terrorism laws, the source said. 

The source also said that introducing new currency notes is essential to control cash volume, particularly as what they described as criminal networks sought to inject counterfeit money into the economy. The decision was made to safeguard Sudan’s national security, they added. 

Addressing concerns over administrative separation in RSF-held states, the source dismissed such fears as unfounded. The source noted that RSF-controlled regions continue to depend on government-administered states for currency and inter-state trade, and that the new policy will channel all large-denomination currency into banks, limiting economic manipulation and curtailing opportunities for further looting.

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Sudan’s finance minister strengthens ties with Tehran amid firm stance against RSF, UAE talks

Sudan’s Finance Minister and leader of the Justice and Equality Movement Gibril Ibrahim has ramped up internal efforts to block any potential negotiations with the RSF or the UAE. Simultaneously, he has been bolstering ties with Iran, which he visited for several days, meeting with his Iranian counterpart as well as the foreign minister and other senior officials.

A government source told Mada Masr that Ibrahim’s visit follows his firm push against government policies perceived as lenient toward the UAE and its backing of the RSF. Unlike other ministers and leaders of armed movements who signed the Juba Peace Agreement, Ibrahim has maintained a hardline stance that reflects the official position of the Sudanese government, the source said. Ibrahim firmly opposes negotiations with the RSF or engaging diplomatically with the UAE, the source added.

The source noted that his visit to Tehran is part of a broader government strategy to diversify its diplomatic relations and keep regional ties open. Discussions during the visit included plans to establish a Sudanese trade center in Tehran, promote Iranian investments in Sudan and explore avenues for economic cooperation, according to the source. 

A diplomatic source told Mada Masr that the dynamics governing Sudan’s foreign relations are evolving, emphasizing that Sudan cannot remain dependent on countries unwilling to offer support or even care about its internal affairs. The source stressed Sudan’s right to partner with any country that advances its stability and territorial unity.

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Transitional Sovereignty Council extends Adre border crossing’s opening

Similar to his hardline stance on the RSF and the UAE, Ibrahim  urged the government in October to close the Adre border crossing, contrary to recommendations from a high-level committee monitoring humanitarian conditions. A government source told Mada Masr that Ibrahim believes Sudan should not yield to the demands of countries undermining its sovereignty or supporting the RSF.

This position was reiterated during a UN Security Council session on Tuesday, where Sudan’s permanent representative to the UN, Al-Harith Idriss, reported that 151 trucks were seen traveling from Adre to Geneina with an RSF escort. Thirty of those trucks carried advanced weapons, including anti-aircraft missiles, heavy artillery and ammunition; eight were unidentifiable; and 33 bore UN logos, Indriss said.

Yet, the Transitional Sovereignty Council announced on Wednesday that it would extend the operations of the Adre border crossing. The decision, made just two days before the previously set three-month deadline was due to expire, did not specify a new timeframe.

After it had been closed for nearly six months, the Adre border crossing was reopened on August 15 to allow the delivery of aid into the Darfur region.

Burhan stated that the government, based on recommendations from the second humanitarian response conference and the supreme committee for humanitarian affairs, decided to keep the Adre crossing open after November 15 — the expiration date of the first decision.

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Burhan visits Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan 

At the invitation of King Salman of Saudi Arabia, Burhan attended the Arab-Islamic Summit in Riyadh on Monday, where he held talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. 

A source familiar with the visit told Mada Masr that Burhan briefed bin Salman on Sudan’s latest developments, reiterating his commitment to implementing the Jeddah Agreement signed on May 11, 2023, and welcoming any Saudi-led initiatives in line with the agreement.

According to the source, Burhan also outlined Sudan’s roadmap for a comprehensive resolution to the crisis and clarified Sudan’s stance on foreign support to the RSF. He also stressed that military operations against the RSF would continue unless the paramilitary group complies with the Jeddah Agreement, stating that no external mediation could be accepted while hostilities continue, the source said. 

The source added that bin Salman reiterated Saudi Arabia's commitment to Sudan’s territorial integrity and stability, stressing that peace is achievable only through the measures outlined in the Jeddah Agreement. He also pledged increased humanitarian support through the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center in the coming months.

Following his visit to Saudi Arabia, Burhan traveled to Azerbaijan to attend COP29 on Tuesday. During his speech at the UN Climate Change Conference, he reaffirmed Sudan’s commitment to the UN’s climate agenda, adding that Sudan is struggling with the impacts of climate change alongside the devastation caused by RSF attacks against civilians which have displaced millions of Sudanese people.

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Battles in Khartoum, Fasher and Gezira fronts

On the battlefield, intense clashes persist in Fasher, in western Sudan, as military forces, allied armed movements and popular resistance groups fight against the RSF and its allied militias.

A military source told Mada Masr that Fasher has seen intense fighting since the start of the week, especially after RSF fighters infiltrated areas near the city’s main market. The source added that the military carried out heavy airstrikes on Wednesday and Thursday, targeting RSF gatherings east of the city. The Air Force also conducted a military and logistical supply airdrop to the Sixth Infantry Division's camp in Fasher.

On Wednesday, the RSF released videos in which it claimed to have seized the state police headquarters in Fasher, but a source from the military-allied armed movements refuted the claim to Mada Masr, adding that their forces repelled repeated RSF attacks.

The source accused the RSF of spreading false claims of victories to boost morale among their ranks, and added that they are targeting residential areas and recruiting more fighters.

Fasher’s Sixth Infantry Division reported that it downed seven RSF drones on Wednesday, which were targeting military positions in the city.

Meanwhile, a local source told Masa Masr that the RSF assembled a military convoy of dozens of combat vehicles in Geneina, the capital of West Darfur State. The convoy, which the source said is composed mostly of foreign mercenaries, is expected to join the battles in Fasher in the coming days.

In Gezira State in central Sudan, residents told Mada Masr that the Sudan Shield Forces, led by former RSF commander in the state Abu Agla Keikel, carried out targeted operations in several villages, including Jebel Geili and Kahali village in eastern Gezira. The operations resulted in the capture and killing of several RSF fighters, the sources said.

Keikel appeared in a video released on Thursday that showed him addressing residents of the Butana area. He stated that the RSF lacks a cause and would soon be defeated. He also promised significant victories in Gezira in the coming week and called on the region’s leaders and residents to reject tribalism and support their efforts to eliminate the RSF.

A field source told Mada Masr that the military and popular resistance forces repelled an RSF attack on the Sharif Mukhtar village, south of Gezira, forcing RSF units to retreat to Hosh after intense clashes.

In preparation for imminent confrontations, the military has been amassing large forces along the eastern Faw and western Managil axes in Gezira, supported by a significant number of mobilized local residents.

In Khartoum, a military drone targeted the Jebel Awliya dam bridge in southwestern Khartoum on Tuesday. The bridge served as the RSF's primary supply route from Darfur through Omdurman to the other two cities of the capital, as well as to central states, a field source told Mada Masr. The source added that successive airstrikes targeted combat vehicles and fuel trucks stationed near the bridge, as well as RSF positions around the paramilitary’s Tiba camp near Jebel Awliya.

A senior military officer told Mada Masr that cutting off the Jebel Awliya bridge isolates RSF fighters in Khartoum and central Sudan and severs their supply lines. The officer suggested that the bridge’s destruction could signal a major military ground operation in the coming days.

In another development in the capital, eyewitnesses told Mada Masr that intense clashes broke out in Ombada al-Hara 21, west of Omdurman, on Wednesday and Thursday. They also reported airstrikes targeting RSF positions in Bahri’s Shambat neighborhood, sending plumes of smoke rising over the area.

In the White Nile State’s Doueim city, military forces advanced toward several villages northwest of the state after defeating RSF units. The military officer said that these maneuvers are likely aimed at establishing advanced defenses for Doueim to prevent potential RSF attacks to capture the city and secure supply routes via its bridge.