Sudan’s Northern state vows to confront incursion by Haftar’s Libyan forces
May 11, 2025 (DONGOLA) – Sudan’s Northern State government on Wednesday said it would confront an incursion by forces loyal to Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar, declaring the hostile move “will not go unanswered.”
The statement from the state’s security committee follows a defensive manoeuvre by the Sudanese army, which evacuated the strategic border triangle between Sudan, Libya, and Egypt. The move was designed to counter an offensive by Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) alongside elements of Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA), specifically the “Subul al-Salam” battalion, the committee said.
“The brazen interference by Haftar’s forces invading Sudanese territory, backed by the RSF militia, will not go unanswered, and we will confront it with all the power we have,” the security committee, headed by state governor Abdel Rahman Abdel Hamid, said in a statement.
The committee affirmed that the Sudanese armed forces and allied groups would “stand as an impenetrable bulwark” to protect the Northern State, describing it as “the safety valve for Sudan.”
RSF commanders have repeatedly threatened to attack the Northern State. Their control over the border triangle provides a strategic advantage, allowing for a potential advance across the desert to the state’s frontiers.
The government’s statement urged residents to disregard “RSF rumours that seek a false victory to boost the morale of its collapsing forces,” and called on citizens to avoid protests or disturbances that could be exploited by “infiltrators and enemies of the nation.”
The RSF’s presence in the border region has reportedly allowed it to secure new supply lines from Haftar’s forces. Haftar has been accused of granting the RSF access to his bases, notably the Ma’tan al-Sarra airbase, for training and logistics, including the collection of supplies allegedly provided by the United Arab Emirates.
The gold-rich border triangle is a strategic crossing point between the three countries and is known as a corridor for extremist groups, as well as arms and human traffickers.