The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of Sudan have taken control of Wad Madani, the second largest city in the country. The city had provided shelter to a large number of refugees from the capital, Khartoum, at the beginning of the eight-month conflict between the national army and the paramilitary RSF.
On Monday, the RSF shared videos depicting armed individuals driving pickup trucks through the streets of the city, which serves as the capital of el-Gezira state.
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) made significant progress following a grueling three-day battle that prompted numerous individuals to evacuate the city towards the southern region. On Sunday, the military, police, and certain civilians were responsible for looting markets and residences, with additional reports of RSF fighters engaging in similar actions on Monday.
As the paramilitary approached the city, reports emerged that army intelligence had detained individuals of a specific ethnicity, specifically those from Darfur. Many of these individuals have been residing in el-Gezira for many years as agricultural laborers.
Numerous aid groups, some of which had moved from Khartoum to the city, reportedly halted their operations following the RSF’s progress.
Founded almost a century ago, Wad Madani is located in a region that was once under British and Egyptian control. It is currently home to the army’s primary infantry division.
Over 10,000 individuals have lost their lives in the ongoing conflict between two opposing factions that began in April. As a result, six million people have been displaced from their homes, making it the largest internal displacement crisis worldwide.
The leader of the army, Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the leader of the RSF, Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, worked together with a civilian government following the 2019 removal of President Omar al-Bashir. However, in 2021, the two generals took control in a coup, but their relationship deteriorated this year due to disagreements about when the RSF would join the army.
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been steadily making progress in capturing major cities throughout the country, gaining authority over four of Darfur’s states and a majority of Khartoum. Various attempts by neighboring countries to end the conflict have been unsuccessful.
The United Nations reported that approximately half of Sudan’s population is experiencing starvation, and over 20 million children have been unable to attend school due to the ongoing war. Both parties have been accused of engaging in widespread sexual assault against women and girls.
Source: theguardian.com
