Darfur joint force denies plans to evict Sudanese army from El Fasher
January 9, 2024 (EL FASHER) – A senior commander within the joint force in Darfur, comprising armed groups signatories of the Juba Peace Agreement, has refuted media reports alleging that the force was preparing to remove the Sudanese army from the capital of North Darfur, El Fasher, and hand over control of the city to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
General Abboud Adam Khater, a member of the joint force’s command and control centre and Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Gathering of Sudan Liberation Forces (GSLF), told Sudan Tribune: “The claims that we intend to remove the army from El Fasher, either through peaceful means or through force, are untrue. These are merely dense rumours spread by some parties.”
He further elaborated: “While there are indeed individuals within the armed movements who hope for the RSF to take control of El Fasher, this matter has not been directly discussed, and those calling for the army’s withdrawal from the city do not have the authority to dictate the joint force’s actions.”
Khater emphasized the joint force’s commitment to safeguarding El Fasher, a city filled with internally displaced persons. “We have directly informed the RSF and warned them against taking any action within El Fasher,” he asserted.
Earlier reports had suggested that the joint force intended to expel the Sudanese army from El Fasher, either peacefully or through military means and that it had tasked Sudan Liberation Army- Minni Minawi (SLA-MM) Commander Juma Haqqar with communicating with the army and securing a peaceful withdrawal.
These false reports coincided with the arrival in North Darfur state of al-Hadi Idris, head of the Sudan Liberation Movement – Transitional Council (SLM-TC), and Al-Tahir Hajer, GSLF leader, both of whom have adopted a neutral stance regarding the ongoing conflict and refused to ally with the army to defend North Darfur capital against an attack by the RSF fighters.
For its part, the SLM-MM spokesperson denied Minawi’s involvement in any plans to evict the army from its only remaining garrison in Darfur. He also dismissed any connection between the movements of the SLA-MM Commander Haggar and the arrival of Idris and Hajer in El Fasher.
The spokesperson explained that Haggar had been on a mission with the movement’s leader in Port Sudan and had subsequently left Sudan before his arrival in N’Djamena, Chad, which coincided with the arrival of Hajer, Idris, and other commanders in Chad.
He confirmed that Haggar is currently at the Umbro military region base, alongside his forces, with the full coordination and knowledge of the members of the joint force’s command and control body.
Skirmishes erupt in El Fasher
In a separate development, limited skirmishes broke out between the army and the RSF in El Fasher on Tuesday. Both sides employed heavy artillery, resulting in severe damage to several civilian homes.
A military source stated that the army’s defences in northern El Fasher repelled a large contingent of RSF forces that attempted to penetrate into the Al-Zaydiyah and Khor Sial neighbourhoods. The source asserted that the RSF forces were forced to retreat.
El Fasher is currently experiencing heightened tensions between the two warring parties, as well as between the armed movements and the RSF. All parties are reportedly mobilizing their troops in anticipation of a potential major battle in the city.
(ST)