RSF Leader Threatens to Attack Port of Sudan, Escalating Civil War

KHARTOUM, Sudan - The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) could be forced to attack the Port of Sudan, its leader General Mohamed Dagalo said, this could severely affect revenue being generated to the country as the civil war in Sudan continues to impact innocent civilians.

This comes amid heavy fighting in the outskirts of Khartoum, the Sudanese capital, as RSF makes significant gains against the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) under General al-Burhan, with the ultimate target being the presidential palace.

“Monday is the anniversary of the creation of the Rapid Support Forces and we will turn it into a day of regret and grief for the army,” Gen Dagalo said in a video posted on social media on Saturday. “Fighting will be different and we will come from any and everywhere, and will in the end triumph over the army.”

For more than a year, military leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his staff are based in Port of Sudan, a critical entry route to the country. The Port of Sudan also generates millions of dollars for the country.

On Saturday, however, Gen Dagalo threatened to march on cities north of the capital, including Atbara, Shendi, and Dongola, to capture the “criminals” there, an apparent reference to those who once supported ousted dictator Omar Al Bashir and are now allied with the army against the RSF, the National reports.

The north and east of Sudan had not been affected by the war between the army and the RSF, which broke out in April 2023 after months of tension between the two generals vying for control of the country.

However, the RSF made rapid advances in the early days of the conflict, capturing the capital's international airport, government ministries, the presidential palace, and most of the armed forces' headquarters, as well as a string of military bases and industrial complexes.

RSF controls most parts of Western Darfur and Kordofan but the forces have been overwhelmed by the Armed Forces of Sudan in the greater capital's three sister cities – Khartoum, Bahri, and Omdurman – as well as areas south of the capital in central Sudan.

But Dagalo, who recently formed a parallel government in Nairobi, vowed to defend the country's presidential palace. Witnesses said troops and volunteers have advanced to within 2km of the palace, capturing a complex of office and residential towers called Abraj Al Nilein, and the landmark site of the national archives.

“It appeared to be disjointed and not focused,” prominent analyst and publisher Osman Al Mirghani said. “It's very clear that he's reached an advanced stage of despair. He was unable to give an address that makes a point or delivers a clear message.”

Millions of innocent civilians have been displaced as the war enters its third year. The country had struggled since the ouster of Omar al-Bashir, the former president who was forced out by the military after the famous civilian uprising of 2019.

The lawlessness in the capital prompted one of Gen Al Burhan's senior aides, Yasser Al Atta, to order immediate steps to combat crime during a meeting last Tuesday with the capital's security committee members.

On the same day, the committee called on the police and members of security agencies to return to their pre-war jobs within 48 hours.

“It's a very serious problem, especially in Wad Medani, where some residents, who had earlier been displaced, returned home after the army retook the city, only to leave again because of the abuses against civilians by the volunteers,” said Mr Al Mirghani. “Regrettably, some of the volunteers are finding themselves in a position where they can take advantage of being armed in the face of innocent, unarmed civilians.”

The US has sanctioned both Gen Dagalo and Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, accusing them of gross violation of human rights. The US has been calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities in the country, whose internal conflicts have left thousands of people dead.

GAROWE ONLINE