RSF acknowledges clash with Chadian army after border incursion
The paramilitary force expressed regret for the “unintended clashes,” saying the incursion occurred while its forces were pursuing Sudanese army troops and allied Joint Force members. The RSF alleged these forces had entered Sudan from Chad in a “calculated plan” to provoke a confrontation between the RSF and N’Djamena.
The RSF said its units crossed the frontier without prior knowledge of the exact boundaries due to the “similar nature of the terrain” in border regions. It accused Minni Arko Minawi, leader of the Sudan Liberation Movement, and Gibril Ibrahim, leader of the Justice and Equality Movement, of orchestrating the move to spark a regional crisis.
The force said it respected Chadian sovereignty and pledged to hold those responsible accountable under its internal regulations.
Chad had said on Friday that an RSF armed operation inside its territory killed 7 soldiers and wounded others. N’Djamena condemned the violation and a separate airspace breach by the Sudanese army, vowing an “immediate response” to further incursions.
Tensions have escalated along the border in northwest North Darfur and eastern Chad following battles in the Dar Zaghawa region, an area with deep ethnic ties spanning both countries.
Chadian Foreign Minister Abdullah Sabir Fadul on Monday warned of “risks posed by the spreading conflict” as humanitarian conditions deteriorate and Sudanese refugees flee across the border.
Fadul met a delegation from the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights to assess the impact of the Sudanese crisis on eastern Chad. He said the large influx of refugees has created significant humanitarian and human rights challenges.