Sudan’s RSF fighters crossed into South Sudan, state governor says

July 28, 2025 (WAU, South Sudan) – Fighters from Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have repeatedly crossed into South Sudan, causing panic and displacing residents, the governor of Western Bahr el Ghazal state said.

The governor, Emmanuel Parimo Okello, disclosed the incursions at a security meeting last week, stating the unauthorized movements by the armed group undermined national security as South Sudan grapples with the spillover from the conflict in its northern neighbour.

“People come here to Wau because this group has been moving in and out without sovereign approval,” Okello said, citing reports from local officials. “It undermines our sovereignty, territorial integrity, safety and security of our people.”

Okello alleged that members of the RSF, which has been at war with the Sudanese army since April 2023, entered the Bor-Madina area of Raja county with weapons.

“Last month, this group came, and the commissioner had to call, asking whether we had permitted them to come with weapons,” Okello said. “I had to establish contacts with the national leadership, and it was clear that nobody had permitted such a movement into the country with weapons.”

He added that while President Salva Kiir Mayardit has ordered borders to remain open for civilians seeking refuge, armed movements must be controlled by the military.

A regional commander for the South Sudan People’s Defence Force, Major General Jel Mangok Jel, acknowledged reports of incursions and described the conflict in Sudan as an “inescapable reality.”

While Jel did not explicitly confirm the identity of the armed group as the RSF, he said the army was monitoring the border and that the “situation is under control.”

The governor’s remarks echo recent warnings from President Kiir about the growing risk that the Sudanese conflict will spill across the border, threatening regional stability.