SAF repels major RSF attack on El-Fasher

EL FASHER – The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) said on Saturday evening that they had repelled a major assault by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state. Local reports indicated a significant increase in casualties following the attack, which began at dawn.

The assault occurred just two days after an RSF shelling incident resulted in civilian casualties. The SAF and allied forces claimed victory, stating they had inflicted heavy losses on the RSF.

“By the grace of God, our forces today crushed a major attack by the terrorist Al-Burhan militia on the city of El Fasher, inflicting heavy losses on them,” said SAF spokesman Brig. Gen. Nabil Abdallah in a statement seen by Sudans Post.

Eyewitnesses described “fierce clashes” between the army and its allied factions against the RSF. “The intensity of the confrontations and random gunfire led to the death and injury of a number of civilians,” one local resident said, describing the escalation as “the most violent since the war broke out in the city.”

Multiple RSF sources reported that the assault, which involved RSF forces from West, Central, and East Darfur, was led by the deputy commander of the group, Abdelrahim Daglo, who is the elder brother of RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, and field commander Al-Nuor Guba.

“This attack was led by the most senior commanders of the RSF. They include Lieutenant General Abdelrahim Daglo and Brigadier-General Al-Nuor Guba,” an RSF source said, attributing the failure to capture the city to “lack of respect for orders from the fighters who launched the attack before the zero hour.”

The Sudan Liberation Movement, led by Darfur Governor Minni Minawi, accused the RSF of launching a large-scale attack on El Fasher. The movement claimed that their forces successfully repelled the assault, inflicting heavy casualties on the RSF.

“The terrorist Rapid Support Forces militia attempted to overrun the city of El Fasher from all directions: north, east, west, and south. Having amassed thousands of mercenaries from neighboring countries in recent months and received shipments of advanced weaponry from their regional sponsor, the militia launched their assault at 6:00 AM this morning with intense artillery bombardment followed by a ground infantry push,” the statement said.

“Our joint forces, the Sudanese army, and the popular defense forces engaged in a heroic battle to repulse these outlaws. The fighting raged across all four fronts for over six hours, as our forces delivered a crushing defeat to the terrorist Al-Dagalo mercenaries, killing hundreds and routing their attacking forces. The remnants of the mercenaries fled the city, and our forces are currently pursuing them and conducting a thorough search of the city’s outskirts to eliminate any remaining infiltrators,” the statement added.

The statement also accused the RSF of resorting to indiscriminate artillery shelling of civilian areas following the failed ground assault. This included targeting displacement camps and medical facilities. The statement concluded with a declaration of the government’s resolve to defend El Fasher and ultimately defeat the RSF.

“After the failure of their ground assault, the militia resorted to their usual tactics of indiscriminate heavy artillery shelling from outside the city, targeting displacement camps, hospitals, and civilian infrastructure. We assure the Sudanese people throughout the country that El Fasher stands strong and will remain so until we have completely purged the country of the tyranny of the Rapid Support Forces militia,” it said.

Meanwhile, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the first round of talks between the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), and Sudanese civilian political forces began on Saturday. The talks aim to find a Sudanese-led solution to end the war and build peace.

“The talks started officially on Saturday morning,” said Khaled Omar, deputy chair of the Sudanese Congress Party (SCP) and a prominent member of the Coordination of Civil Democratic Forces (Taqaddum), an anti-war group. “We aim to reach a Sudanese political dialogue to end the war and build sustainable peace in our country.”

The Sudanese politician expressed hopes that the talks “will lead to a cessation of hostilities, the opening of humanitarian aid channels, and serious arrangements to protect civilians.”