U.S.-sanctioned RSF commander Ali Yagoub killed in North Darfur clash

EL FASHER – Prominent commander of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Ali Yagoub, who was blacklisted by the United States last month, was killed in clashes with Darfur rebel groups on Friday morning, multiple sources with direct knowledge told Sudans Post.

The death of Yagoub was first reported on social media by Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) leader Arko Minawi in a brief post on X (formerly Twitter). Minawi offered no further details but wrote, “Goodbye commander Ali Yagoub. We have done it.”

According to a senior member of the joint force, Yagoub was killed on Friday while he and his forces were attempting to attack El Fasher from the south of the city. “They were trying to attack the city from the southern part of it and our forces together with the SAF soldiers in division 6 in El Fasher responded and finished their forces and he was shot and died.”

According to the official, RSF soldiers attempted to flee with Yagoub’s body, but were killed and Yagoub’s body was brought to El Fasher. “As I speak to you, he is being buried because this is what Islam says.”

In videos circulated by supporters of the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF), Yagoub can be seen with a large wound on the left side of his chest. Another video shows soldiers of the joint forces placing a large munition in his mouth.

Yagoub’s death will deal a severe blow to the RSF, which has been fighting the SAF for more than a year over control of the country. He was the commander of RSF operations in North Darfur state at the time of his death. Prior to that, Yagoub was the head of RSF operations in Central Darfur, where thousands of ethnic Masalit civilians were massacred during the course of 2023.

Last month, Yagoub and Osman Mohamed, also known as Osman Amiliat, were sanctioned by the United States “for their role leading RSF operations in Darfur. The RSF military operation to encircle and besiege El Fasher, North Darfur, has endangered the lives of hundreds of thousands of civilians.”

At the time of his killing, Yagoub was the commander of the RSF in North Darfur state. Darfur has five states: South Darfur, West Darfur, Central Darfur, East Darfur, and North Darfur. The RSF controls all the Darfur states except North Darfur, where the army still maintains a presence with its 6th infantry division located in the state capital, El Fasher.

The army is mostly based in El Fasher, and most rural areas not yet under RSF control remain under the control of the Darfur joint force, a consortium of opposition movements that are signatories to the 2020 Juba peace agreement.

These forces are led by Minnawi’s SLA and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) led by Jibril Ibrahim. At the beginning of the war, these groups chose to remain neutral, not siding with either the SAF or the RSF.

However, in November last year, Jibril and Minawi announced that they would now side with the SAF.

Their forces have since been involved in combat on the side of the SAF, a decision seen by many as the reason El Fasher has not yet fallen to the RSF.