Sudan, Chad agree to strengthening operations of joint border force

January 29, 2023 (KHARTOUM) – The transition’s leaders in Sudan and Chad agreed on Sunday to bolster joint patrols of the two armies along the border after the increase of insecurity and attacks in the triangle area with the Central African Republic (CAR).

The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of Mohamed Hamdan Daglo “Hemetti” increased its activities along the border area with the CAR and West Darfur border area with Chad marginalizing the joint border force that Chad and Sudan established in 2010.

Recently, reports from the CAR mentioned joint operations including RSF, CAR army and the Russian Wagner contractors against rebel groups in the border area with Sudan and northern CAR where are also stationed Chadians rebels.

Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of the Transitional Sovereign Council was in Ndjamena for talks with Mohamed Deby head of the Transitional Military Council discussed bilateral relations and the situation on the border area.

The joint statement released in the Chadian capital at the end of the visit said the two leaders said concerned by the increase of the inter-communal attacks in the border area.

“To this end, they stressed the urgency of strengthening the operational capacity of the Chad-Sudan Mixed Force, to face the security challenges which are more and more frequent in the border area of the two countries (…),” reads the statement.

Accordingly, the army and security have to establish “direct and continuous relations” added the statement. Also, the two sides agreed to share information and intelligence between the security services.

“In addition, they raised the need to operationalize the Joint Tripartite Force Sudan / CAR / Chad created on January 18, 2005, in Khartoum for the fight against insecurity at the common borders of the three countries,” stressed the statement in its Arabic and French versions.

Sudanese diplomatic sources told Sudan Tribune that the visit discussed the increased presence of the RSF in the border areas and agreed to deploy Sudanese-Chadian forces along the joint border in West Darfur State.

Also, al-Burhan and Deby discussed the Chadian-French concerns about the massive presence of the RSF along the border with the CAR, stressed the sources.

Russian expansion in the Francophone countries has become a source of concern for Washington and Paris.

The RSF leader who has close relations with the Wagner group spoke earlier in January about a coup attempt to overthrow President Faustin-Archange Touadéra and the involvement of Sudanese elements close to tribal leader Musa Hilal.

Mohamed Hamdan Daglo Hemetti is expected to travel to Ndjamena on Monday.

(ST)