KHARTOUM, Sudan
Heavy clashes continue around a strategic army base in the Sudanese capital Khartoum as the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) fight amid raging conflict.
For the consecutive second
day, paramilitary units launched an assault on the primary military facility of
the Armoured Corps, covering an expanse of approximately 20 kilometres. This
location houses three tank battalions, two mechanized infantry brigades, and
one mechanized infantry battalion.
In the afternoon of Monday,
forces commanded by Lt. Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, also known as “Hemetti,”
declared that they had successfully breached the army’s defence lines. They
released videos depicting their troops inside a warehouse containing armoured
vehicles and machine guns. Additional footage exhibited RSF fighters asserting
their presence within the base.
Contrastingly, the Sudanese
army unveiled videos featuring their soldiers, claiming to be in pursuit of RSF
elements that had attacked their base. The Army’s spokesperson further stated
that they had thwarted the second RSF attack, with their forces now engaged in
the pursuit of the “fleeing militia remnants.”
“The enemy, having suffered
severe retribution from our forces and sustaining substantial losses in terms
of personnel, vehicles, equipment, and weaponry, has been defeated,” said the
military statement.
While the Sudanese army
maintains control over all its outlying garrisons, including those in the
Darfur region, the RSF targeted the army’s headquarters in Khartoum. The
central command remains partially under the army control, with
Commander-in-Chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan still present there.
The significance of the
armoured corps for the RSF is profound, as it forms the nucleus of the SAF’s
infantry forces. Capturing this military base would also grant them control
over a vital bridge connecting Khartoum and northern Omdurman, where the
Logistic Army is stationed.
Conversely, the rival
paramilitary forces assert that they have gained dominion over substantial
portions of the military compound, though they have not provided detailed
specifics.
The RSF statement further said
they killed 260 army troops and confiscated a substantial array of military
equipment, weaponry, and ammunition, including 34 armoured vehicles and tanks,
12 artillery pieces, and 78 vehicles.
Negotiations in Jeddah between
the conflicting factions have stagnated, revolving around the withdrawal of RSF
fighters from Khartoum. The Sudanese army insists they relocate to cantonment
sites outside the state, while the paramilitary forces demand the restoration
of their camps within Khartoum.
Beyond the issue of gathering
sites, the RSF aims to secure a political role for its leaders, whose
reputations have suffered due to their involvement in atrocities and human
rights violations against civilians.
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