The Sudanese army and allied forces have launched a major counteroffensive in the western region of Darfur, securing a series of gains against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group. In early August, government-aligned troops repelled two successive RSF attacks in the strategically important Bir Saliba area, located about 30km north of el-Geneina, the capital of West Darfur state, and the last RSF stronghold in the region.
Government-backed forces have been pressuring RSF supply lines by seizing crossings and desert routes along the border with Chad, signaling a possible shift in fighting toward el-Geneina. General Bahr al-Din Adam Karama, governor of West Darfur, emphasized Bir Saliba's strategic importance, noting its road network linking the state capital with northwestern areas, particularly Jebel Moon and Kulbus.
Darfur Regional Governor Minni Arko Minnawi announced the death of Major General Mahdi Adam, known as "Jebel Moon," one of the RSF's most prominent field commanders, in fighting in western Sudan. The RSF has not officially confirmed his death, but if true, it would represent a significant loss for the paramilitary group and leave a leadership gap on this key western front.
Minnawi also stated that the Joint Force of the Armed Struggle Movements, a coalition of former Darfur rebel groups that signed the 2020 Juba Peace Agreement and now fights alongside the Sudanese army, thwarted an RSF attempt to encircle Bir Saliba. One RSF force advanced from north of Kulbus while another moved from the direction of Sileia in the Jebel Moon area before launching a large-scale attack on the Joint Force.
"[The RSF] bet on the element of surprise to break through the Joint Force's defenses, but they received another lesson," Minnawi said. Major Mutawakkil Ali Wakil Abu-Ja, the Joint Force's spokesman, told Al Jazeera that the Sudanese military destroyed more than 38 combat vehicles and seized 27 others in the campaign. The RSF sector commander was also killed, with fighters fleeing the battlefield and leaving their dead comrades behind.
Abu-Ja said efforts are underway to take the western part of the region and increase pressure on the RSF before what he described as a decisive battle for el-Geneina. Air strikes on a convoy traveling near the border with Chad have further isolated the RSF and struck a key supply route, said Major General Othman Siraj. Pressure on multiple fronts by the army is preventing the RSF from regrouping and paving the way for what he believes will be the final battle for el-Geneina.
Fadel Kaya, a leader and adviser with the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army – Transitional Council (SLM/TC), told Al Jazeera that the Joint Force's victories in West Darfur indicate the RSF has shifted from trying to gain territory to retreating from key positions. In North Kordofan state, the RSF has turned to drones to compensate for the loss of the strategic route linking Omdurman and el-Obeid, which served as a major supply artery before the army recaptured it on July 27.
Amin Ishaq Zakaria, an SLM/TC spokesman, said the RSF's increased use of drones reflects "a predicament on the ground and an inability to engage in direct confrontations after losing vital positions." Sudanese armed forces have seized a number of attack drones along the Jabra al-Sheikh axis during the counteroffensive. The International Organization for Migration reported on Saturday that recent fighting has displaced more than 6,650 people from 11 villages in the Sirba region. Over 13 million people have been displaced since the war began in April 2023, according to UN estimates. The RSF and its allies have also established a rival administration, known as the Tasis government, opposing the Sudanese government based in Port Sudan.
Source: www.aljazeera.com