Latest news with #RSF-held
News18
3 days ago
- Politics
- News18
Sudan's Paramilitary Declares Parallel Govt In War-Hit Darfur, Deepening Crisis
Last Updated: The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), along with allied armed groups under the so-called Tasis Alliance, made the declaration The Sudanese paramilitary group, Rapid Support Forces (RSF), on Saturday announced the formation of a parallel government in areas under its control, mainly in the war-torn Darfur region, further deepening the country's ongoing crisis. The RSF, along with allied armed groups under the so-called Tasis Alliance, made the declaration. The move comes more than a year after fighting erupted between the RSF and Sudan's military in April 2023, plunging the country into civil war. In a video statement from Nyala, the capital of South Darfur now under RSF control, alliance spokesman Alaa al-Din Naqd said RSF commander Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as 'Hemedti," has been appointed head of a new sovereign council. The 15-member council will serve as the head of state for the RSF-held areas. The RSF emerged from the Janjaweed militias, accused of committing widespread atrocities during the Darfur conflict two decades ago. Now, in the current war, the group stands accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The United States has imposed sanctions on Dagalo, accusing the RSF and its proxies of genocide, allegations the group denies. The RSF's new administration also named Mohammed Hassan al-Taishi, a former member of Sudan's post-Bashir transitional government, as prime minister. Rebel leader Abdelaziz al-Hilu, who heads the SPLM-N faction in southern Kordofan, was named deputy to Dagalo in the council. The announcement follows the RSF's signing of a charter in Nairobi in February, outlining plans to form a government in the territories it controls. That move was widely condemned at the time by foreign governments, including the US, who rejected the legitimacy of any RSF-led authority. In response to the latest declaration, Sudan's internationally recognised government in Khartoum condemned what it called a 'fake government" and urged the international community not to engage with it. The creation of a parallel administration raises fears that Sudan could follow the path of Libya, which has been divided between rival governments for years. Rebel leader Yasir Arman warned that the RSF's action could prolong the conflict and push Sudan further into fragmentation. (With inputs from AP) view comments Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Gulf Today
02-06-2025
- Health
- Gulf Today
‘Drones hit paramilitary locations in west Sudan'
Three drone strikes have hit key paramilitary positions in western Sudan, witnesses said on Sunday, as fighting between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) escalates in the war-torn region. The strikes in Nyala, the South Darfur state capital, targeted a hotel and a medical unit in the city centre and RSF-held positions on the eastern outskirts, residents said. 'We saw ambulances transporting the wounded to several hospitals,' one resident told reporters in a message. RSF bombarded the key southern city of El Obeid on Friday, killing six people in a hospital, as doctors in the capital Khartoum fought to contain a cholera outbreak. World Health Organisation chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said they were 'appalled' by the latest strike, adding: 'Attacks on health must stop. We call for protection of all health infrastructure and health personnel. The best medicine is peace.' An army source told reporters the drone strike on the Social Insurance Hospital, which also wounded 12, was part of a simultaneous strike on residential areas of the city with heavy artillery. The bombardment had also hit a second hospital in the city centre, the source added. A medical source at El Obeid Hospital, the city's main facility, confirmed the toll. El Obeid, a strategic city 400 kilometres southwest of Khartoum, was besieged by the RSF for nearly two years before the regular army broke the siege in February. It was one of a series of counteroffensives that later saw the army recapture Khartoum. The RSF has controlled much of Nyala since the conflict began in April 2023 between army chief Abdel Fattah Al Burhan and his former deputy, RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. Air strikes on RSF positions have intensified, hitting Nyala airport - a key RSF base - and other targets. In early May, army planes bombed RSF sites in Nyala and the West Darfur capital, El Geneina, destroying depots and equipment, a military source said. Agencies
Middle East Eye
26-05-2025
- Business
- Middle East Eye
Sudan: Gum arabic haul worth $75m seized by RSF in Kordofan looting spree
Lorries containing around 10,000 tonnes of gum arabic worth tens of millions of dollars were looted by paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) fighters in Sudan earlier this month and have disappeared, traders and officials told Middle East Eye. The shipment was being held in more than 400 vehicles alongside other crops ready for export from the West Kordofan town of al-Nahud when the RSF seized the area from the Sudanese military on 2 May. After taking al-Nahud, a centre for gum arabic cultivation and a strategic point on the road that links army-dominated eastern Sudan and the RSF-held west, fighters ransacked homes, shops and businesses. Gum arabic traders told MEE this process is ongoing, as RSF fighters attempt to break into warehouses and stores containing the valuable product across the states of West Kordofan and North Kordofan, where there is intense fighting. Two traders who have been directly impacted by the thefts suggested that the gum arabic looted in recent days in and around al-Nahud is worth around $75m at today's inflated prices. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Traders told MEE that around a third of gum arabic cultivated this year has been looted by the RSF, which they say is worth up to $125m. MEE has asked the RSF for comment. A report by UN investigators delivered to the United Nations Security Council last month estimated that the conflict had led to the loss of at least 90,000 tonnes of gum arabic worth $200m. Prices have risen sharply over the two years of conflict. Gum arabic is used as a key emulsifier and stabiliser in various foods, cosmetics and medicine, including Coca-Cola and popular chocolate products such as M&Ms. Harvested by extracting the dried sap of certain acacia trees, it is found across the Sahel region. However, up to 80 percent of the world's gum arabic was sourced from Sudan before war broke out between the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) in April 2023. Traders say two-thirds of Sudan's gum arabic is sourced from Kordofan, an arid southern region where hostilities have escalated this year. Al-Nahud is the second-largest gum arabic hub after al-Obeid in neighbouring North Kordofan state. 'At the beginning of the war, al-Nahud was safe because it was between areas controlled by the RSF and SAF so far away from the fighters and soldiers,' Said Mohammed al-Tahir, a gum arabic trader from the town now based in Port Sudan, told MEE. 'But after SAF established a unit in al-Nahud and more soldiers came after withdrawing from areas of Darfur like Nyala and al-Fasher, it began attracting the attention of the RSF.' Smuggling boom The RSF and Sudanese army began fighting in 2023 when tensions over plans to fold the paramilitaries into the regular military erupted into open conflict. War has devastated Sudan, leaving its capital Khartoum in ruins, killing tens of thousands of people and displacing 13 million others. Throughout the war, RSF fighters have looted areas they have controlled and seized large amounts of gum arabic being stored in Khartoum in the war's earliest days. Gum arabic is used as a key emulsifier and stabiliser in various foods, cosmetics and medicine (Daniel Hilton/MEE) In recent months, the military has pushed the RSF out of the capital and is now making gains in Kordofan. The RSF has responded to setbacks by declaring a parallel administration in the western region of Darfur and other areas it still controls, a move condemned by much of the international community and the Sudanese government currently based in Port Sudan. Though the RSF and its fighters have made money by charging levies and other fees on the trade and transport of gum arabic, in September it banned anyone from exporting it east through SAF-held areas. Since then, the smuggling of gum arabic through neighbouring countries has ballooned. Tahir said business associates had seen his product being sold in South Sudan, Chad and even Libya's Tripoli at reduced prices. Countries with a previously low or negligible production of gum arabic, such as Chad, Senegal, Egypt and South Sudan, have reportedly begun 'aggressively' offering cheap gum arabic at reduced prices. 'We have to trust the buyers not to purchase smuggled gum arabic' - Ibrahim Abu Baker Elsiddig Ibrahim, a trader Ibrahim Abu Baker Elsiddig Ibrahim, a trader, said international gum arabic trading organisations recently agreed to ensure that only officially certified Sudanese gum arabic exported through Port Sudan would be purchased. Generally, Sudanese exports are purchased by companies such as Nexira and Alland & Robert, which then sell on to large consumer goods firms. 'We have to trust the buyers not to purchase smuggled gum arabic,' Ibrahim said. A complicating factor may be sanctions that the United States is imposing on Sudan. Last week, Washington accused the Sudanese military of using chemical weapons and said new sanctions would affect US exports to Sudan and access to US government lines of credit. The international importance of Sudan's gum arabic trade meant the product was made exempt from previous sanctions imposed on Sudan in the 1990s. But there are fears within Sudan's gum arabic industry that Sudanese firms may find themselves excluded from international payment systems such as Swift. 'Maybe American sanctions will affect the legitimate gum arabic trade,' Ibrahim said. 'They could make an exception for gum arabic, because so many American companies rely on it, but that would pose moral issues when compared to other industries.'
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Drone attacks raise stakes in new phase of Sudan's civil war
Paramilitary fighters appear to have opened a new phase in Sudan's civil war after being driven from the capital, in a move which some experts have described as a "shock and awe campaign". Just weeks after the army celebrated the recapture of Khartoum, its foe the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) launched a series of unprecedented drone strikes on Port Sudan in the east of the country. The attacks have led to worsening power blackouts, as well as city residents facing water shortages. "It's a level of power projection within this region that we haven't seen yet," says Alan Boswell, the Horn of Africa expert for the International Crisis Group. "I think it raises the stakes quite a bit," he added. The barrage of attacks on the war-time capital and humanitarian hub signals that the RSF is determined and able to carry on the fight despite significant territorial losses. And it has showcased the growth of advanced drone warfare in Africa. Drones have played an increasing role in the conflict, which has entered its third year. The war began as a power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF and has drawn in other Sudanese armed groups and foreign backers, plunging the country into what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) helped the army advance earlier this year. And the RSF escalated its own use of drones as it was pushed out of central Sudan, especially Khartoum, back towards its traditional stronghold in the west of the country. In recent months the paramilitaries had stepped up drone strikes on critical civilian infrastructure in army-controlled areas, such as dams and power stations. But their sustained attacks on Port Sudan, until now seen as a safe haven home to government officials, diplomats and humanitarian organisations, underlined a shift in strategy to a greater emphasis on remote warfare, and aimed to demonstrate strength. "The RSF is trying to show that they don't need to reach Port Sudan by land in order to be able to have an impact there," says Sudanese political analyst Kholood Khair. The group is trying to achieve a "narrative shift" away from "the triumphant SAF that took over Khartoum," she says. "It is saying to the Sudanese Armed Forces: 'You can take Khartoum back, but you'll never be able to govern it. You can have Port Sudan, but you won't be able to govern it, because we will cause a security crisis for you so large that it will be ungovernable'... They want to unequivocally show that the war is not over until they say so." The paramilitary group has not directly addressed the Port Sudan drone attacks. Rather, it has repeated its assertion that the SAF is supported by Iran and accused the armed forces of targeting civilian infrastructure and state institutions, calling the military strikes on Khartoum and RSF-held areas in the west and south of the country war crimes. Both sides stand accused of war crimes which they have denied, but the RSF has been singled out over allegations of mass rape and genocide. The change in its tactics may have been triggered by battlefield necessity, but is possible because of technological advancement. The RSF had previously used what are known as suicide or loitering drones, small UAVs with explosive payloads that are designed to crash into targets and can carry out coordinated attacks. It seems to have deployed this method in Port Sudan, with the commander of the Red Sea Military Zone Mahjoub Bushra describing a swarm of 11 Kamikaze drones in the first strike on a military airbase. He said the army shot them down, but they turned out to be a tactical distraction to divert attention from a single strategic drone that successfully struck the base. The make of this drone is not clear. But satellite images reported by Yale researchers and the Reuters news agency have shown advanced UAVs at an airport in South Darfur since the beginning of the year. The defence intelligence company Janes has determined them to most likely be sophisticated Chinese manufactured CH-95s, capable of long-range strikes. Jeremy Binnie, an Africa and Middle East analyst at Jane's, told the BBC that photos of what appear to be the remnants of the smaller kamikaze drones suggest they are probably a different version than the RSF had used before, and might be better at penetrating air defences because of their shape. One regional observer suggested the RSF had been able to breach the SAF's anti-drone technology with signal jammers attached to the drones, but cautioned this was still unproven. The South Darfur airport in Nyala, the presumptive capital and military base of the Rapid Support Forces, has been repeatedly bombed by the SAF, which destroyed an aircraft there earlier this month. Some experts see the RSF's bombardment of Port Sudan at least partly as retaliation. Inside Khartoum, a city left in ruins Sudan war: A simple guide to what is happening The escalating drone warfare has again highlighted the role of foreign actors in Sudan's civil conflict. "This is a war of technology," says Justin Lynch, managing director at Conflict Insights Group, a data analytics and research organisation. "That's why the foreign supporters are so important, because it's not like the RSF is making the weapons themselves. They're being given this stuff." The army has accused the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of supplying the paramilitary fighters with the drones, and cut diplomatic ties with Abu Dhabi because of the attacks. The UAE has strongly rejected the charges. It has long denied reports from UN experts, US politicians and international organisations that it is providing weaponry to the RSF. But Mr Lynch says the evidence is overwhelming. He was the lead author of a US State Department-funded report late last year that concluded with "near certainty" the the UAE was facilitating weapons to the RSF by monitoring imagery and flight patterns of airlines previously implicated in violating a UN arms embargo. He told the BBC it would be surprising if the Emiratis were not helping deliver the drones used in the Port Sudan attacks. He also determined with similar near-certainty that the Iranians were supplying weapons to the SAF, and he helped authenticate documents provided to the Washington Post that detail the sale of drones and warheads to the army by a Turkish defence firm. Iran has not responded to the allegations. Turkish officials have denied involvement. The increasing use of drones by both sides may be redefining the war, but it is the ability of the RSF to strike strategic targets hundreds of kilometres from its positions that has rattled the region. Over a week of daily attacks on Port Sudan, the paramilitaries hit the country's only working international airport, a power station, several fuel depots, and the air base, apparently trying to disrupt the army's supply lines. The city is also the main entry port for relief supplies and the UN has warned that this "major escalation" could further complicate aid operations in the country and lead to large-scale civilian casualties. "This was such a shock and awe campaign that it has not only stunned SAF, I think it's also stunned Egypt, Saudi Arabia, others who were behind SAF, and remakes the entire war," says Mr Boswell, adding that it closing the gap in air power between the RSF and the army. "The RSF is widely viewed as a non-state actor," he says "and normally, groups like that can muster quite a bit of an insurgent force. But the government with the air force is the one that always has the aerial capacity, and this just turns all those old adages on its head." The development has triggered comparisons to the long-range drone warfare between Russia and Ukraine. "These weapons have more precision, you don't need a manned aircraft any more, and they are much more affordable than operating sophisticated jets," says Mr Binnie. "This is part of a broader trend in technological proliferation where you can see what used to be really high-end capabilities being used in a civil war in sub-Saharan Africa." The Sudanese foreign ministry has warned that the attacks threaten regional security and the safety of navigation in the Red Sea, calling on international actors to take "effective action against the regional sponsor of the militia," a reference to the UAE. Mr Lynch believes that only an agreement between the UAE and the Sudanese army will end the war. "This war is always evolving, always changing," he says, "but you'll see it will continue for years and decades unless there is serious diplomatic action to stop it." WATCH: 'They ransacked my home, and left my town in ruins' The children living between starvation and death BBC reporter: My heartbreaking decision to leave Sudan Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Africa Daily Focus on Africa
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Drone attacks raise stakes in new phase of Sudan's civil war
Paramilitary fighters appear to have opened a new phase in Sudan's civil war after being driven from the capital, in a move which some experts have described as a "shock and awe campaign". Just weeks after the army celebrated the recapture of Khartoum, its foe the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) launched a series of unprecedented drone strikes on Port Sudan in the east of the country. The attacks have led to worsening power blackouts, as well as city residents facing water shortages. "It's a level of power projection within this region that we haven't seen yet," says Alan Boswell, the Horn of Africa expert for the International Crisis Group. "I think it raises the stakes quite a bit," he added. The barrage of attacks on the war-time capital and humanitarian hub signals that the RSF is determined and able to carry on the fight despite significant territorial losses. And it has showcased the growth of advanced drone warfare in Africa. Drones have played an increasing role in the conflict, which has entered its third year. The war began as a power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF and has drawn in other Sudanese armed groups and foreign backers, plunging the country into what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) helped the army advance earlier this year. And the RSF escalated its own use of drones as it was pushed out of central Sudan, especially Khartoum, back towards its traditional stronghold in the west of the country. In recent months the paramilitaries had stepped up drone strikes on critical civilian infrastructure in army-controlled areas, such as dams and power stations. But their sustained attacks on Port Sudan, until now seen as a safe haven home to government officials, diplomats and humanitarian organisations, underlined a shift in strategy to a greater emphasis on remote warfare, and aimed to demonstrate strength. "The RSF is trying to show that they don't need to reach Port Sudan by land in order to be able to have an impact there," says Sudanese political analyst Kholood Khair. The group is trying to achieve a "narrative shift" away from "the triumphant SAF that took over Khartoum," she says. "It is saying to the Sudanese Armed Forces: 'You can take Khartoum back, but you'll never be able to govern it. You can have Port Sudan, but you won't be able to govern it, because we will cause a security crisis for you so large that it will be ungovernable'... They want to unequivocally show that the war is not over until they say so." The paramilitary group has not directly addressed the Port Sudan drone attacks. Rather, it has repeated its assertion that the SAF is supported by Iran and accused the armed forces of targeting civilian infrastructure and state institutions, calling the military strikes on Khartoum and RSF-held areas in the west and south of the country war crimes. Both sides stand accused of war crimes which they have denied, but the RSF has been singled out over allegations of mass rape and genocide. The change in its tactics may have been triggered by battlefield necessity, but is possible because of technological advancement. The RSF had previously used what are known as suicide or loitering drones, small UAVs with explosive payloads that are designed to crash into targets and can carry out coordinated attacks. It seems to have deployed this method in Port Sudan, with the commander of the Red Sea Military Zone Mahjoub Bushra describing a swarm of 11 Kamikaze drones in the first strike on a military airbase. He said the army shot them down, but they turned out to be a tactical distraction to divert attention from a single strategic drone that successfully struck the base. The make of this drone is not clear. But satellite images reported by Yale researchers and the Reuters news agency have shown advanced UAVs at an airport in South Darfur since the beginning of the year. The defence intelligence company Janes has determined them to most likely be sophisticated Chinese manufactured CH-95s, capable of long-range strikes. Jeremy Binnie, an Africa and Middle East analyst at Jane's, told the BBC that photos of what appear to be the remnants of the smaller kamikaze drones suggest they are probably a different version than the RSF had used before, and might be better at penetrating air defences because of their shape. One regional observer suggested the RSF had been able to breach the SAF's anti-drone technology with signal jammers attached to the drones, but cautioned this was still unproven. The South Darfur airport in Nyala, the presumptive capital and military base of the Rapid Support Forces, has been repeatedly bombed by the SAF, which destroyed an aircraft there earlier this month. Some experts see the RSF's bombardment of Port Sudan at least partly as retaliation. Inside Khartoum, a city left in ruins Sudan war: A simple guide to what is happening The escalating drone warfare has again highlighted the role of foreign actors in Sudan's civil conflict. "This is a war of technology," says Justin Lynch, managing director at Conflict Insights Group, a data analytics and research organisation. "That's why the foreign supporters are so important, because it's not like the RSF is making the weapons themselves. They're being given this stuff." The army has accused the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of supplying the paramilitary fighters with the drones, and cut diplomatic ties with Abu Dhabi because of the attacks. The UAE has strongly rejected the charges. It has long denied reports from UN experts, US politicians and international organisations that it is providing weaponry to the RSF. But Mr Lynch says the evidence is overwhelming. He was the lead author of a US State Department-funded report late last year that concluded with "near certainty" the the UAE was facilitating weapons to the RSF by monitoring imagery and flight patterns of airlines previously implicated in violating a UN arms embargo. He told the BBC it would be surprising if the Emiratis were not helping deliver the drones used in the Port Sudan attacks. He also determined with similar near-certainty that the Iranians were supplying weapons to the SAF, and he helped authenticate documents provided to the Washington Post that detail the sale of drones and warheads to the army by a Turkish defence firm. Iran has not responded to the allegations. Turkish officials have denied involvement. The increasing use of drones by both sides may be redefining the war, but it is the ability of the RSF to strike strategic targets hundreds of kilometres from its positions that has rattled the region. Over a week of daily attacks on Port Sudan, the paramilitaries hit the country's only working international airport, a power station, several fuel depots, and the air base, apparently trying to disrupt the army's supply lines. The city is also the main entry port for relief supplies and the UN has warned that this "major escalation" could further complicate aid operations in the country and lead to large-scale civilian casualties. "This was such a shock and awe campaign that it has not only stunned SAF, I think it's also stunned Egypt, Saudi Arabia, others who were behind SAF, and remakes the entire war," says Mr Boswell, adding that it closing the gap in air power between the RSF and the army. "The RSF is widely viewed as a non-state actor," he says "and normally, groups like that can muster quite a bit of an insurgent force. But the government with the air force is the one that always has the aerial capacity, and this just turns all those old adages on its head." The development has triggered comparisons to the long-range drone warfare between Russia and Ukraine. "These weapons have more precision, you don't need a manned aircraft any more, and they are much more affordable than operating sophisticated jets," says Mr Binnie. "This is part of a broader trend in technological proliferation where you can see what used to be really high-end capabilities being used in a civil war in sub-Saharan Africa." The Sudanese foreign ministry has warned that the attacks threaten regional security and the safety of navigation in the Red Sea, calling on international actors to take "effective action against the regional sponsor of the militia," a reference to the UAE. Mr Lynch believes that only an agreement between the UAE and the Sudanese army will end the war. "This war is always evolving, always changing," he says, "but you'll see it will continue for years and decades unless there is serious diplomatic action to stop it." WATCH: 'They ransacked my home, and left my town in ruins' The children living between starvation and death BBC reporter: My heartbreaking decision to leave Sudan Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Africa Daily Focus on Africa
