Sudan Nashra: Threat to South Kordofan prompts strategic alliance | Military advances in Omdurman | Armed group unity in Fasher frays

The armed conflict in South Kordofan State in southern Sudan has intensified following a major attack by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on the city of Dalang, the second largest city in the state after its capital Kadugli. With the war now entering its 10th month, this complex and unconventional battle has forged a temporary alliance between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the third most powerful armed group in the country, the Sudanese People’s Liberation Movement – North faction, led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu. The two parties, who have been engaged in conflict since 2011, have joined forces against the RSF, according to a military source who spoke to Mada Masr on condition of anonymity.

Meanwhile, in Omdurman, one of the three cities that make up the capital, the military has made significant territorial gains after engaging in fierce street battles against the RSF. This advancement brings the military closer to linking its forces in the Karrari military area in the northern part of the city with the engineering corps in the south, thus providing an important gateway to the adjacent four states — the White Nile and the Northern State to the north, and North and South Kordofan to the west and south respectively.

In Darfur, the westernmost region of Sudan, intermittent fighting returned to Fasher, the capital city of North Darfur State, which has been under siege in recent months as the RSF has prepared to take the final stronghold in Darfur after already seizing control over the other four states that make up the western region.  The intermittent fighting between the Sudanese military and the RSF on the outskirts of the city follow a visit by former Sovereignty Council members and leaders of rebel armed movements Al-Taher Abu Bakr Hagar and Al-Hadi Idris, who are allied with the RSF and the Civil Front for Democracy led by former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok. These developments came amid reports of demands for the military to withdraw from its positions, and conflicting viewpoints  from other armed movements aligned with the military, which have brought the declared battle of Fasher back to the forefront of the war.

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As the 10th month of the war in Sudan commences, the armed conflict has once again moved south from the capital, with fighting erupting in the South Kordofan State after months of relative calm. Previously, fighting in the state had been confined to clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces and SPLM-N (al-Hilu) forces. With the RSF’s advance southward, after taking the important gateway city of Wad Madani in December, fighting in the state has taken on a different dynamic, with both the military and the SPLM-N faction joining forces to fight the RSF. The alliance between the two sides followed a major RSF attack on the Habila area, near Dalang, the second largest city in the state after the capital Kadugli.

On January 4, South Kordofan State witnessed intense military operations, as the RSF seized control of a unit belonging to the Sudanese military in the Habila area, located 47 km east of Dalang.

Since the early hours of January 1, the Sudanese military and the RSF have been engaged in fierce fighting in the region, which resulted in the latter gaining control of the area. A field military source from the 54th Dalang Brigade told Mada Masr on condition of anonymity that the military fiercely defended the camp, but logistical challenges regarding supplies hindered the battle’s progress.

Following the fall of Habila, a soldier’s body was found hanged in the center of Dalang. Residents of Dalang informed Mada Masr that the body belonged to a Sudanese military soldier who was accused of obstructing military supplies from Dalang to Habila, prompting some of his comrades to attack and kill him. 

However, a Sudanese military source told Mada Masr that the "chaos that occurred in the city has been brought under control and such actions go against the customs and traditions of the military." The source confirmed that an investigation will be conducted and its findings will be presented to the relevant authorities.

The execution of the soldier by his comrades comes against the backdrop of ethnic division and an old conflict in the region, fueled by tribal affiliations within the Sudanese military, SPLM-N (al-Hilu) and the RSF.

Amid this complex conflict, several factions of the SPLM-N entered Dalang in coordination with the Sudanese Armed Forces in the city, according to a field source in the military who spoke to Mada Masr on condition of anonymity. The source stated that infantry units from SPLM-N  have been engaged in battles with the RSF since the early stages of the conflict. However, the SPLM-N leadership has not yet commented on the matter.

A retired SPLM-N source who spoke to Mada Masr on condition of anonymity said that the nature of the military situation in South Kordofan State necessitates coordination between field commanders, as both the Sudanese military and SPLM-N  face the same military risks. Thus, in the source’s opinion, it is not surprising that the SPLA-N joined in the fight against the RSF. 

The source also underlined the importance of the Habila region in explaining why the SPLM-N would become involved in the fighting, pointing to the fact that it is a major agricultural center that guarantees food security for a large number of people and is a gateway linking the west and east of the state. 

In June, the SPLM-N entered the war after seizing several military outposts belonging to the Sudanese military in South Kordofan State.

These confrontations marked the first military clashes between the Sudanese military and SPLM- N since the ouster of President Omar al-Bashir in 2019. Both parties had then separately renewed a ceasefire agreement in the hope of reaching a peace deal.

Since the outbreak of the war between SPLM-N and the Sudanese government in 2011, the armed rebel group has retained extensive areas of control in the states of South Kordofan and Blue Nile.

On the other hand, General Kafi Tayara’s forces, which operate independently from the Sudanese military’s command, and have an independent structure in the Kordofan states, have been engaging in civil arrangements in the region. These include signing an agreement with local leaders to prevent the RSF from infiltrating the Kordofan states. They also emphasized the need to protect residents and cut off military supplies coming from western areas to Khartoum.

Military sources in the city indicated that Tayara’s forces are currently participating in the military clashes that erupted in Dalang on January 6. The city experienced a cautious calm from January 8, until the situation violently escalated again on January 10, with fierce clashes between the military with the support of SPLM-N and Tayara’s forces, repelling a major attack by the RSF on the western and southwest axis of the city.

According to a military source in Dalang, the RSF faced strong resistance and strikes against their military positions outside the city. The military seized a number of four-wheel-drive vehicles and ammunition.

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Fasher returns to the forefront 

In western Sudan, the historical city of Fasher, the capital of North Darfur State, has once again become a site of military operations. On January 9, the city witnessed armed clashes between the military and the RSF as the latter attempted to infiltrate the neighborhoods of Zayadiya and Khor Sayal.

This comes amid shifting positions of armed movements in the Darfur region regarding the ongoing war that has plagued the country since mid-April.

Eyewitnesses who spoke to Mada Masr on condition of anonymity said that the Sixth Infantry Division of the Sudanese military repelled RSF troops attempting to infiltrate Fasher. Limited skirmishes occurred, but the RSF eventually withdrew, restoring calm to the area.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the joint force of armed movements in Darfur, Ahmed Hussein Adroub, refuted rumors that have circulated in recent days about a plan by the groups to expel the military from Fasher. 

Adroub told Mada Masr that the information is "baseless," urging citizens to disregard it.

In the meantime, the governor of the Darfur region, Minni Arko Minnawi, conducted a tour in the neighboring River Nile State, north of Sudan’s capital Khartoum, where he met with local leaders, accompanied by the state’s governor.

As the governor of the Darfur Regional Government, Minnawi issued a decision to form a legal committee tasked with freeing any Darfuri prisoners held in the River Nile and Northern states, citing racism against Darfur's people as the reason for their detention.

Mada Masr obtained a copy of the decision from a source in the regional government who stated, on condition of anonymity, that the decision was prompted by complaints regarding detainees held without any legal charges. 

The River Nile State is a significant destination for Sudanese people engaged in informal mining, particularly individuals from certain areas in Darfur. 

Amid concerns about the RSF’s expansion in the northern states, arrest campaigns have targeted many individuals from Darfur working in informal mining and self-employment under the pretext that they  are affiliated with the RSF.

In the context of developments in the Darfur region, Hagar and Idris arrived in Fasher.

The two Sudan Revolutionary Front leaders told Mada Masr that their visit was aimed at inspecting the joint forces, updating them on the political and security developments in the country and assessing the situation of displaced people.

The positions within the Darfuri armed movements regarding the war in Sudan remain diverse. While some have declared their support for the military and readiness to defend civilians in Fasher, others have maintained a neutral stance and joined the Civil Front for Democracy in signing the Addis Ababa Declaration with the RSF.

The Addis Ababa Declaration, which was signed in the Ethiopian capital in the early days of January, lays out strategies for ending the war, establishing investigation and monitoring committees to address violations and managing areas under the RSF’s control. It also proposes ideas for governance in the post-war period. 

However, the spokesperson for the Sudan Liberation Movement-Minnawi faction, Al-Sadeg Ali al-Nour, told Mada Masr that the Addis Ababa Declaration solidifies militia dictatorship and imposes foreign rulers on the Sudanese people, emphasizing that the document holds no significance for them.

Regarding Sudanese Armed Forces chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan's statements last week rejecting talks with the RSF, Nour said, "that was a natural reaction to the RSF leader's speech, saying Burhan fled from the leadership in his ‘shower slippers.’ This manner does not indicate a desire for peace or dialogue."

Nour explained that their proposed solution to resolving the crisis in Sudan centers around a genuine, earnest and transparent internal Sudanese dialogue, free from regional or international influences, or exclusionary stances toward any Sudanese parties. This dialogue should address the causes and consequences of the war, including the humanitarian issues that have arisen as a result, focusing on the imperative need for life-saving aid.

Nevertheless, Nour emphasized that despite the focus on internal dialogue, constant lines of communication are maintained with Sudan’s neighboring countries, as well as some regional and international institutions, to bring the war to an end and ensure the prosecution of the perpetrators of crimes.

Meanwhile, Mubarak Bakhit, the secretary of Presidency Affairs in the Sudan Liberation Forces Alliance, led by Hagar, told Mada Masr that “the arrival of Hagar and Idris to Fasher is simply about them going back to their original place of work,” adding that their prior engagements outside the city were aimed at achieving a cessation of hostilities.

Bakhit added that the armed movements’ stance remains neutral and unchanged, noting that what some leaders announced in Port Sudan was merely a political declaration that did not alter the joint force’s mission in any way.

Regarding the military’s withdrawal from Fasher, or the lack thereof, Bakhit said that it depends on the military’s practices toward the city’s citizens. “Should any violations occur, the joint force will take action. But currently, there is no opinion on this matter.”

Bakhit considered the calls to arm civilians as desperate attempts by the former regime's supporters to ignite a civil war among the Sudanese people. He called on everyone to turn down those calls and instead raise their voices against war.

Furthermore, Bakhit noted that the Civil Front for Democracy hopes to hold talks with Burhan to bring an end to the armed conflict in Sudan, noting that their objective is to facilitate a dialogue between the two parties without prior conditions.

He added that, during a meeting with RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo “Hemedti” in Addis Ababa, the Civil Front for Democracy discussed the issue of the RSF withdrawing from civilians’ homes. He confirmed that Hemedti agreed to form a joint committee to address this matter. However, the absence of the Sudanese military has posed challenges to forming the committee, according to Bakhit.

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The military advances in Omdurman

In the center of the country, the three cities of the Sudanese capital Khartoum — Khartoum, Bahri, and Omdurman — remain trapped in a perpetual state of war. The military continues to launch artillery and drone strikes on various areas in Khartoum State.

In the eastern region of Khartoum, including the Taif and Riyadh neighborhoods, the military continues to shell RSF positions. An RSF military source told Mada Masr on condition of anonymity that since the beginning of January, the military’s field operations have not spared even civilians’ homes from the shelling.

The RSF had previously used heavy artillery to target the military’s general command in central Khartoum. In a statement, the military confirmed that the RSF had targeted and completely burned down the Sahel and Sahara bank tower close to the general command headquarters.

In Omdurman, home to the military’s most secure strongholds in the capital and adjacent to four states that previously served as vital supply lines for the RSF before the destruction of the Shambat Bridge in November, a fierce street war has been raging on throughout the week. 

As a result, the Sudanese military has gained control over most neighborhoods and main streets adjacent to the Engineers Corps in the northern part of the city, after the Special Operations Forces of the Engineers Corps south of Omdurman advanced northward into the heart of the city. 

The battles of the Engineers Corps’ Special Operations Forces are considered crucial military confrontations for the Sudanese military, as the leadership of the Omdurman military region seeks to gain control over central parts of the city, lift the siege on the Engineers Corps and secure control over the areas of Umbada and Salha, where RSF forces are stationed.

A military field source from the Engineers Corps told Mada Masr on condition of anonymity that the Special Operations Forces, formed in the Engineers Corps camp, have been anticipating this battle for over a month, as they attempt to break the siege on the Engineers Corps and connect it to the Wadi Seidna military base.

According to the source, the military has conducted ammunition and food supply drops in recent weeks in preparation for this crucial battle. He noted that the Special Operations Forces are now advancing in the central axes of Omdurman and are just 5 km away, or less, from connecting the military forces in the Karrari military region, located in the northernmost part of Omdurman, with the Engineers Corps and military headquarters in the south.

The military has gained control over most of Al-Arbaeen Street, which stretches from the Engineers Corps in the south to Omdurman Market in the north, passing through Al-Arda Street which is under the RSF’s control. The military also secured the neighborhoods of Abbasiya and Morada and established military bases there, as well as the majority of Omdurman Market and the old neighborhoods of Omdurman. Only Al-Arda Street remains for the military to connect its forces in Omdurman north and south. This comes concurrently with its advance westward.

If the military manages to control the central area of Omdurman, it will be able to besiege the radio and television headquarters located in the Mulazmeen neighborhood, overlooking the west bank of the White Nile. This would effectively cut off the RSF’s military supply and further secure the headquarters. The radio and television headquarters was captured by the RSF on April 15 and converted into a military stronghold, where supply operations are carried out from its buildings.