Paramilitary forces advance eastward in a new escalation of the conflict in Sudan.
The paramilitary group engaged in Sudan’s civil conflict is redirecting its attention eastward after solidifying control over Darfur last month, thereby rekindling hostilities and initiating drone strikes in the nation’s oil-producing southern regions.
The increase in drone strikes and the recent troop and weapon deployments by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army indicate that both factions are focusing their efforts on Kordofan, a region consisting of three states that acts as a buffer between the RSF’s strongholds in western Darfur and the army-controlled states in the east.
Last week, the RSF acquiesced to a ceasefire proposal from the United States following international condemnation regarding reports of mass civilian casualties during its takeover of al-Fashir, the army’s final substantial stronghold in Darfur.
The military has not consented to the ceasefire, which may facilitate additional deliveries of urgently required humanitarian assistance following 2.5 years of combat, and hostilities have not diminished.
TESTIMONIALS REGARDING RETALIATORY ASSAULTS
The RSF commenced operations in Kordofan concurrently with the capture of al-Fashir late last month, seizing the town of Bara in North Kordofan state, a vital strategic connection between Darfur and central Sudan. The army had regained control of the town about two months prior.
Amy Pope, the chief of the International Organization for Migration, stated that up to 50,000 individuals had been displaced from Kordofan since that time.
Reports from al-Fashir indicate that tens of thousands have been displaced, with many more unaccounted for. Survivors from Bara, who provided only their first names due to fears of retribution against their families, recounted incidents of revenge attacks and extrajudicial executions targeting individuals accused of supporting the army.
“They claimed you celebrated with the army… we must eliminate you,” stated Khalil, an escapee, while speaking to Reuters with his arm in a sling in army-controlled Omdurman, a section of Sudan’s capital. He stated that he had been seated in a line with eight other individuals, two of whom were fatally shot by an RSF soldier.
Ismail recounted concealing himself within a residence while gunfire erupted in the street, until he could remunerate a combatant to facilitate the evacuation of himself and his family from the city.
A third individual, Mohamed, reported that upon the arrival of RSF troops at his residence, he heard his father resisting and subsequently being mortally shot outside the door. Groups of RSF fighters stormed the residence, assaulted him and others, and demanded money and gold, he reported. He departed the city on foot, evading combatants and automobiles.
The Sudanese activist group Emergency Lawyers reported that hundreds were killed in Bara.
Reuters was unable to independently corroborate the reports of the violence.
In response to inquiries, the RSF stated that the military had obstructed all efforts toward peace. An RSF leader stated, “Any location with a military presence is a valid target, and we will conduct attacks in any region of Kordofan, Khartoum, or Port Sudan.”
The RSF did not respond to a request for comment regarding the reports of killings in Bara. The RSF asserts that allegations of extensive abuses in al-Fashir and other locations are overstated and that it is examining any incidents that may have occurred.
INDICATORS OF A MILITARY ESCALATION
Hostilities may now shift to El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan and one of Sudan’s largest cities. Two eyewitnesses informed Reuters that they observed the army and allied forces gathering troops and equipment in the city earlier this week, while the RSF was stationed to the east.
Babanusa, a town in West Kordofan state, which hosts a significant army installation, is reportedly encircled by RSF soldiers, according to residents who spoke to Reuters. Civilians predominantly evacuated the city throughout prior hostilities.
In South Kordofan, the RSF and allied combatants from the SPLM-N armed organization are encircling the military in the cities of Kadugli and adjacent al-Dalanj, with hostilities intensifying, as reported by an SPLM-N source.
A worldwide hunger monitor said this week that Kadugli was experiencing famine as of September, and that al-Dalanj was likely also in famine, reflecting the effects of the siege on al-Fashir.
Witnesses and sources have indicated evidence of an extensive military escalation.
An army source and a source affiliated with the SPLM-N said that the armed group had acquired fresh weaponry through South Sudan. A witness in Port Sudan, the army’s fighting capital on the Red Sea coast, noticed a rise in cargo plane arrivals.
Two military sources indicated that the aircraft transported military supplies. Reuters was unable to independently corroborate the assertions.
The conflict, arising from a desire for power, has resulted in racially motivated violence, extensive devastation, and significant displacement, involving international nations and jeopardizing the unity of Sudan. In recent months, both parties have increasingly depended on drone operations, resulting in significant civilian casualties.
On November 3, a drone strike in the Sheikan neighborhood of North Kordofan resulted in the deaths of 49 individuals, including women and children, according to Emergency Lawyers, who did not disclose the perpetrators of the attack.
UN human rights official Volker Turk stated on Friday that developments on the ground suggest evident preparations for escalated hostilities, with significant implications for the beleaguered populace.