Wad Madani: RSF push back after intense clashes with Sudanese army
December 17, 2023 (WAD MADANI) – Jubilant celebrations erupted in Wad Madani, capital of Al-Jazirah State, on Sunday, following reports of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) withdrawing from the city, a haven for hundreds of thousands of war-displaced individuals.
Violent clashes had ensued between the army and the RSF since last Friday, after the RSF abruptly deployed their forces on the outskirts of Wad Madani, establishing a base in the town of Abu Haraz, approximately 15 kilometres northeast of the city.
Citizens poured into the streets of Wad Madani, their voices echoing with the joyous chants of women, the honking of horns, and the celebratory gunfire of army personnel, who proclaimed, “The army has triumphed!”
Amidst this outpouring of relief and exhilaration, the movement of displaced persons at the Central Market transportation hub subsided significantly, a stark contrast to the overwhelming crowds that had gathered there since last Friday. The situation worsened on Saturday and Sunday as residents from the eastern bank of the Blue Nile, forced to evacuate their homes, desperately sought refuge in the city by crossing the Hantoub Bridge.
On Sunday, Sudanese Air Force fighter jets launched a series of airstrikes against RSF positions and bases east of Wad Madani. The skies of Wad Madani were abuzz with the presence of multiple aircraft unleashing missiles towards RSF sites on the eastern bank of the Blue Nile.
The Sudanese military’s official spokesperson, Nabil Abdallah, issued a statement stressing that the army successfully repulsed the RSF attack on Wed Madani. He added the army and other security agencies would remain vigilant until the eradication of “any remaining rebel or dissident elements”.
Earlier the army released videos depicting jubilant crowds celebrating their “victory over the terrorist militia.”
The Wad Madani Resistance Committees issued a press release on Sunday evening, stating, “After a fierce engagement, the armed forces successfully contained and repelled the brutal militia’s attack on the eastern entrance of Wad Madani, forcing the remaining forces to retreat northward.”
The statement indicated that the RSF had sustained significant losses and had infiltrated into neighbourhoods and villages east of Wad Madani, with Special Forces units spreading widely throughout the neighbourhoods of Hantoub, Riyadh, and Al-Qadisiyah, located east of the bridge connecting Hantoub and Wad Madani.
The statement further revealed that the Air Force continued to pursue the retreating RSF forces northward, towards the city of Rifa’ah, approximately 54 kilometres north of Wad Madani, amidst intermittent artillery sounds.
The city’s resistance committees confirmed that Wad Madani Kidney Hospital had resumed operations and urged citizens to adhere to the curfew imposed by the armed forces and the state of emergency, carry personal documents, and refrain from riding motorcycles.
In a subsequent statement, the Wad Madani Resistance Committee announced in a press circular that the RSF was confined to the eastern region of Wad Madani, including Hantoub district, Al-Sharafa, Abu Haraz, Um Alila, Wad Rawa, and other areas.
The statement reported that the RSF, which the committee characterized as a militia, was roaming on foot within Hantoub, looting shops and homes. It also stated that the militia had looted and robbed several shops in the Wad Rawa and Tinbul areas.
The United States of America, the United Nations, and various organizations and political forces had repeatedly called upon the RSF to withdraw from Wad Madani, citing the city’s role as a sanctuary for hundreds of thousands of displaced individuals fleeing the war that has raged since April 15 last year.
(ST)