Sudan’s RSF leader admits defeat in Al Jazirah state, vows to fight on

January 11, 2023 (KHARTOUM) – The commander of Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) conceded defeat on Saturday in the strategic city of Wad Madani, urging his troops to regroup after the Sudanese army retook the Al Jazirah state capital.

The army, along with allied fighters, recaptured Wad Madani after crossing the Hantoub Bridge. RSF forces had used the bridge to seize the city in late 2023 as part of a broader campaign that saw them gain control of much of Al Jazirah.

In an audio recording posted on the RSF’s Telegram account, leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemetti, said his forces needed to “reorganize their ranks and review themselves.”

While acknowledging the loss of Wad Madani, Hemetti vowed to recapture the city, emphasizing that the RSF had lost a battle but not the war. He claimed the RSF, which has been fighting for 21 months, was prepared to continue for 21 years.

Hemetti attributed some of the setbacks to the impact of what he described as Iranian and other drones, adding that his forces, accustomed to raids by Ilyushin, Antonov, and MiG aircraft, were uniquely vulnerable to drone attacks. “No forces are waiting to be dropped with explosive barrels in open ground other than the Rapid Support Forces,” he said.

“There is a cure for every disease, including drones,” he added, without elaborating.

The RSF chief accused the army of deploying fighters from the Ethiopian Tigray region and the Eritrean Islamic Liberation Front, claiming his forces had engaged them for three days near Wad Madani. He said he had evidence of this, including the alleged killing of their leader in a battle in Dinder, southeast of Sudan.

The Sudanese army did not immediately comment on the accusations of involvement of foreign forces. Eritrea voiced its open support for the Sudanese army, while the Tigray opposition groups are hostile to the Asmara and Addis Ababa governments.

The fighting in Sudan between the army and the RSF has displaced millions and created a dire humanitarian crisis.