Sudan Nashra: ‘Until the last rebel is expelled’ and ‘Victory or victory,’ Burhan and Hemedti take war in Sudan to point of no return

As Sudan approaches the one-year mark of its ongoing war, prospects for the country remain bleak. 

Sudan remains entrenched in the largest armed conflict in its modern history, with approximately 48 million Sudanese facing an uncertain future. Among them are over 8 million displaced persons and refugees, and more than 15 million children who are out of school. Over 15,000 people have been killed in the nearly year-long war and thousands have been injured.

Against this grim backdrop, the Sudanese Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief and head of the Transitional Sovereignty Council Abdel Fattah al-Burhan delivered a resolute message to the Sudanese people on the eve of Eid al-Fitr earlier this week. In a brief recorded message, Burhan declared a commitment to rid the country of every last soldier of the Rapid Support Forces, deferring any political talks and stating that the battle now is one “of dignity and for the homeland.” 

In a similarly adamant speech, Burhan’s rival and RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo stated in his address to the Sudanese people on the first day of Eid al-Fitr that "our sole option is victory or victory."

Conversely, political forces aligned with the Freedom and Change Coalition and the Civil Front for Democracy expressed disappointment with the statements made by Burhan and Hemedti, viewing them as departing from demands for peace and “closing the door on hope.”

Meanwhile, Burhan is in Port Sudan, the eastern coastal city and his new administrative capital, trying to pick up the pace to form a government led by his deputy at the Transitional Sovereignty Council, Malik Agar, according to a source from the council who spoke to Mada Masr. 

Concurrently, the RSF continues to exercise de facto control over four states in the Darfur region and extensive areas of Gezira State in central Sudan, while military operations surge in the capital, Khartoum, and the states of West Kordofan, North Darfur and Gezira. 

In Gezira, the military has recently commenced major operations along three axes with air support, reclaiming several towns. 

This marks the first time the Sudanese Armed Forces have engaged in extensive operations in this region since their mysterious withdrawal from Wad Madani, the capital of Gezira, in December. 

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New frontlines in the tri-city capital 

In Khartoum city, military operations persist intermittently around the armed forces’ general command headquarters in the city center and the Armored Corps in the Shagara military area to the south. 

Meanwhile, the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF exchanged artillery fire in the vicinity of the Signal Corps in Bahri over the course of the week, returning the strategic site, which saw fierce fighting in early March, to the forefront of the battle in the capital after a brief lull last week. 

Eastern Khartoum witnessed extensive strikes by the military on areas under RSF control. Eyewitnesses in the Arkaweet and Maamura neighborhoods told Mada Masr that the military employed drones in their offensive in eastern Khartoum, where RSF field commanders reside.

The drone strikes resulted in extensive damage to several residential areas and RSF military vehicles, according to the eyewitnesses.

In Bahri, in the north of the capital, clashes de-escalated after the Sudanese Armed Forces and the operations authority forces — the military wing of the General Intelligence Services — repelled an RSF assault in fierce fighting. 

Meanwhile, military operations persist in northern Bahri along the route linking the city center to the north, where the Gaili oil refinery is located. The RSF has controlled the refinery since the onset of war, utilizing it as a strategic military supply hub. 

The military has set up ambushes on the road, destroying over 200 RSF vehicles, a military source within the Signal Corps told Mada Masr.

Another military source told Mada Masr that operations commenced around the Gaili refinery, with the military launching an offensive on one of the most strategic RSF-held sites.

A third military source said that the recapture of the Gaili refinery is only a matter of time. 

High-ranking military sources told Mada Masr that the armed forces leadership aims to reclaim both Gezira and Khartoum simultaneously by advancing toward the north of the capital in conjunction with the military’s offensive in Gezira.

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Sudanese military launches largest operation in Gezira along three axes

The Sudanese military has initiated one of its largest military operations in Gezira State, in central Sudan, since the RSF seized control of extensive territories in the region in December. 

The operation, shrouded in considerable security and military secrecy, was launched on April 5. It involves three concurrent military axes, each deploying different military units, alongside the military air force, heavy artillery and drones.

Western axis:

Starting from Managil, a key Gezira city under the Sudanese Armed Forces’ control, the western axis advances northeast toward the capital city of Wad Madani. 

Comprising operations authority forces, military units and strategic reserve brigades, according to military sources, the Managil axis has made notable strides in combat, positioning them approximately 24 minutes away from Wad Madani, a military source told Mada Masr.

The military and allied forces had captured Madina Arab town, followed by Mahala village, which lies 14 kms from Wad Madani. 

Eastern axis:

The eastern axis, vital due to the concentration of RSF troops in the area, starts from the city of Faw in Gadarif State, east of Gezira. 

The military progressed through the city of Shabarga to the Danagla area, before regrouping at Shabarga, approximately 37 kms east of Wad Madani. 

Forces in this axis include military units along with forces from the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) led by Darfur Governor Minni Arko Minnawi.

The largest military operation along this axis is taking place as the military and allied forces clashed with the RSF at two critical junctures: Shabarga and Danagla. SLM forces fell into an RSF ambush, resulting in casualties.

According to a source from the security committee in Gadarif State who spoke to Mada Masr, the RSF attacked military positions in Gadarif city using suicide drones. The offensive did not result in any casualties, the source said. Subsequently, the military combed the city’s surrounding area, in addition to implementing extensive military measures to prevent potential RSF infiltration. 

Southern axis:

Conversely, the southern defensive axis has witnessed limited progress. Stretching from western Sennar through southern Gezira to the Wad Haddad area, the military has employed its warplanes to target RSF positions in Wad Haddad as well as western Sennar. 

Forces in this axis include military units and the operations authority forces, with their current position around 67 kms from Wad Madani. Notably, this region is a hub for military surveillance aircraft operations, as a security source told Mada Masr that RSF troops may shift their military operations to Sennar city.  

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Burhan and Kabashi on tours during Eid

During Eid al-Fitr, Sudanese military leaders ramped up their internal tours. Burhan visited Gezira, where he participated in the Eid prayer in Um Shagara village. 

Um Shagara holds strategic importance as a civil area crucial for border security, connecting the Butana Plain in Gezira to Gadarif State.

Addressing local residents during his visit, Burhan said that the ongoing conflict has revealed allegiances and that the Sudanese people can now discern those who stand with them, whether domestically or abroad. "Whether we go or stay, there will be no place for those who betrayed the Sudanese people," he said. 

During his speech on the eve of Eid, which was broadcast on Sudanese national television, Burhan stated that there is “no turning back to pre-April 11, 2019, or pre-October 25, 2021, or pre-April 15, 2023.”

A  source from the Transitional Sovereignty Council told Mada Masr that “with this speech, Burhan cut off any attempt to view or deal with the current situation based on what took place during the transitional period and underscored a new political landscape.”

Meanwhile, Deputy Commander-in-Chief Shams Eddin al-Kabashi visited the 18th Division in the White Nile State, marking his second visit to the military site within a month. Kabashi also visited the Hamari area, an advanced military defense post in the White Nile State bordering Gezira and Khartoum.

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New battles in Fasher

Fasher, the capital of North Darfur State, stands as the primary battleground in the Darfur region of western Sudan, as it remains the last stronghold still under the control of the Sudanese military and allied armed movements. 

The Sudanese military’s air force have recently conducted intensive airstrikes on RSF positions and weapon depots in the north and east of Fasher.

A military field source told Mada Masr that the airstrikes targeted RSF positions and combat vehicles in the Nakhil neighborhood to the east of Fasher, as well as the Malit and Halouf gates to the north. 

The source said the offensive resulted in casualties among RSF ranks, as well as the destruction of combat vehicles and an ammunition truck.

These airstrikes, labeled by the city's resistance committees as the most severe since the outbreak of the war in mid-April last year, aim to destroy RSF military supplies and disperse major RSF reinforcements from Central and Western Darfur states, which were attempting to attack the military’s Sixth Infantry Division.

Meanwhile, the SLM forces, aligned with the military, stated that the RSF and allied militias launched attacks on multiple villages west of Fasher, resulting in more than 50 deaths, dozens of injuries, villages set on fire, civilian property looted, and forced displacement. 

The group said in a press statement on Monday that the ongoing systematic violations in Darfur's villages and towns are an attempt by these militias to alter the demographic composition in all of Sudan.

In a crucial development for aid in the besieged city, a United Nation humanitarian aid convoy arrived in Fasher — the first in months. 

Replying to the RSF’s claim on X that the paramilitary had provided protection to the convoy, the UN Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan Toby Harward stated that the convoy reached Fasher without security or protection from any armed party. Harward emphasized full coordination with all parties in accordance with the Jeddah Declaration and without any security escort, indicating that they would work with all parties to deliver humanitarian aid to all areas in Darfur and other places in Sudan. He urged all parties not to exploit humanitarian assistance for any purposes.

In Nyala, the capital of South Darfur State, the Sudanese Air Force conducted airstrikes in the early hours of Tuesday, targeting the military’s headquarters in the state which had been captured by the RSF. The airstrikes also hit other locations in the Geer neighborhood. According to local residents who spoke to Mada Masr, the airstrikes resulted in civilian casualties.

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Military repels several RSF attacks on Babanusa

In the southwest of Sudan, in West Kordofan State, battles persist between the two warring parties in Babanusa city, which holds the military’s 22nd Infantry Division.

Located near the border with South Sudan, Babanusa has been the subject of fierce attacks by the RSF, despite pleas from civil leaders to refrain from engaging with the military in the area due to fears that an offensive would ignite sectarian and racial strife in the city.

Last week, the military repelled successive RSF assaults on the city, a continuation of the paramilitary group’s attempts to take over the 22nd Infantry Division command that began in January. 

Military sources told Mada Masr that on Tuesday, the military effectively destroyed three combat vehicles in a failed RSF attack and eliminated dozens of RSF fighters, including two mid-ranking officers.

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Agar to lead the new government sought by Burhan, the Civil Front For Democracy: Futile attempts

The official spokesperson for the Civil Front for Democracy Bakry al-Jack told Mada Masr that the recent meetings held by the front in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, "have achieved unparalleled success in fostering the spirit of alliance and harmony among its members." 

However, sources within the front told Mada Masr that the bloc is facing internal disputes, with a split between the party's leadership office and executive office. While the leadership office is attempting to take a different stance, the executive office insists on remaining within the front. 

Nevertheless, Jack said that all organizational issues related to representation, decision-making, and a comprehensive vision for addressing the humanitarian issue and the cessation of war have been addressed.

As political forces engage in power struggles, Burhan has initiated extensive negotiations to form a new government. 

According to a source from the Transitional Sovereignty Council who spoke to Mada Masr, Burhan has been holding a series of meetings regarding the formation of a new government.

Sovereignty Council deputy president Malik Agar is expected to lead the new government, according to the source, with ongoing discussions concerning potential candidates. 

However, Jack said that, while the military might form a new government, it remains a pointless endeavor given the existing de facto government in place since the October 25, 2021 coup. "Based on past experience, we do not expect a government to be formed. The coup leaders have been unable to do so despite their repeated attempts," he added.

"Forming a government will neither advance nor delay the prevailing crisis in the country, with war, societal divisions and loss of control over most territories in Kordofan, Darfur and Gezira,” Jack told Mada Masr. “It would have detrimental consequences if this took place and the RSF, in turn, formed a government in their areas of control."