W. Darfur official denies RSF withdrawal from border areas

February 26, 2023 (EL GENEINA)  – A Sudanese official on Sunday denied the withdrawal of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) led by Deputy Head of the Sovereign Council Mohamed Hamdan Daglo “Hemetti” from the long border areas linking Sudan, Chad and the Central African Republic.

Several sources previously spoke about growing tensions between the military commanders of the army and the RSF in several areas in Darfur following recent directives to redeploy the Sudanese Chadian border patrols after a meeting between Abdel al-Fattah al-Burham and Mahamat Deby in Ndjamena on January 29, 2023.

The sources said that the RSF elements, which were deployed on the borders, especially in the state of West Darfur, had received directives to withdraw from the border with Chad and the Central African Republic (CAR).

However, in statements to Sudan Tribune on Sunday Tijani al-Tahir Karshoum, West Darfur Deputy Governor dismissed the RSF withdrawal.

“The Rapid Support Forces deployed at the border with Chad have not been replaced by the Sudanese army. They are still there with the regular forces in the restive areas,” said the deputy governor.

“Addressing the insecurity issues at the border is the responsibility of the joint forces between Sudan and Chad,” he further added.

Al-Burhan and Deby last January agreed to revitalize the joint border patrols after clashes between the Zaggawa elements of the Chadian army with the RSF Arab elements in West Darfur. Also, the recent involvement of the Sudanese RSF in the CAR troubles angered al-Burhan and Deby alike.

Karshoum underscored that troop rotation takes place regularly for the border forces to improve performance and maintain security and stability in the region.

“So, the RSF is complementary to the rest of the forces and does not operate separately,” he said.

Sudan and Chad agreed in 2010 to deploy joint border forces to prevent cross-border attacks by rebel groups. In recent years the number of operational patrols declined but the joint forces’ headwaters remained.

But now, with the presence of Chadian rebels in northern CAR and the Russian mercenaries in the triangle border, the two capital felt the need to reactivate these patrols and evacuate the RSF militiamen because of their close relations with the Russian contractors.

(ST)