RSF forces army retreat in Sudan’s Al Jazirah state
December 5, 2024 (AL JAZIRA) – The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) claimed victory Thursday in a fierce battle that forced the Sudanese army and its allies to retreat in Al Jazirah state.
RSF fighters attacked the army’s position in Wad al-Muhaidi, 12 miles east of the state capital of Wad Madani, and posted videos online showing captured soldiers and equipment.
The army had seized Wad al-Muhaidi on Wednesday as part of an eastward push that saw them capture the town of Um al-Qura and advance deeper into the Al Jazirah agricultural project. However, the Sudan Shield Forces, a former RSF faction now allied with the army, acknowledged withdrawing from Wad al-Muhaidi after heavy fighting.
The Sudan Shield Forces said in a statement they had fought “intense battles” against the “invading Janjaweed militia” but suffered casualties. They claimed to have inflicted heavy losses on the RSF.
The statement said the operation aimed to secure supply routes for allied forces and set the stage for a “major offensive” to retake Wad Madani, which fell to the RSF in December.
According to the statement and the Sudan Tribune, army reinforcements stationed nearby did not engage in Thursday’s fighting.
The RSF is now concentrated west of Wad al-Muhaidi, while the army and its allies have fallen back to positions west of Umm al-Qura.
Villages raided
Meanwhile, the RSF continued raids on villages in Al Jazirah state, killing nine people, including a woman and a child, in the past 48 hours.
The Al Jazirah Conference said the RSF carried out “retaliatory attacks” on civilians in several villages, killing four people in Wad Shama on Thursday and five in Wad Hamid on Wednesday.
The RSF has been accused of widespread human rights abuses in Al Jazirah state, including killings, kidnappings, rape, and forced displacement.