Sudanese army repels RSF attack on border town in western Sudan

KHARTOUM, Sudan

The Sudanese army and allied joint forces repelled an attack Saturday by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on the border town of El Tina in North Darfur state.

The Coordination of Resistance Committees in El Fasher said in a statement that RSF fighters infiltrated El Tina, which lies along the Sudan-Chad border, but were confronted by army troops and joint forces of armed movements allied with the military and retreated after clashes.

The group said the attacking forces withdrew at the onset of fighting in the strategically located town.

Darfur regional governor Minni Arko Minawi described the RSF assault on El Tina as “targeting unarmed civilians and criminal behavior.”

In a post on the US social media company Facebook, he shared videos purportedly showing joint forces seizing RSF vehicles and weapons in El Tina.

Fighters from army-aligned armed movements also circulated videos on social media from inside the town, displaying damaged combat vehicles, weapons, and individuals they identified as RSF detainees.

Earlier Saturday, the RSF said in a statement on its Telegram channel that it had taken control of El Tina.

Of Sudan’s 18 states, the RSF controls the five Darfur states in the west, except for parts of North Darfur that remain under army control. The military retains control over most of the remaining states, including the capital, Khartoum.

Darfur accounts for roughly one-fifth of Sudan’s total area of more than 1.8 million square kilometers, though the majority of the country’s estimated 50 million people live in areas controlled by the army.

The conflict, which began in April 2023, has killed tens of thousands and displaced about 13 million people, creating one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises and famine conditions, according to UN reports.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio in Istanbul