Brutal fighting continues in W. Kordofan’s Babanusa for third day
January 24, 2024 (BABANUSA) – Intense and unrelenting clashes between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have entered their third day, wreaking havoc in the city of Babanusa, West Kordofan State. The fighting has resulted in mounting casualties, widespread destruction, and a deepening humanitarian crisis.
On Tuesday, January 22, the RSF initiated a major military operation aimed at capturing the army headquarters in the state. The chaotic clashes intensified at dawn on Wednesday as the RSF made deeper inroads into Babanusa.
Osman Hamida, a volunteer activist who fled to El-Fula, the state capital, described the battles as primarily concentrated in the neighbourhoods of Al-Salam, Bishma, Al-Tarbiyah, Al-Jami’ah, Abu Ismail, and the Babanusa Dairy Factory, along with the railway headquarters and the main Babanusa market.
Hamida confirmed at least seven civilian deaths attributed to indiscriminate artillery shelling and aerial bombardments targeting RSF positions in residential areas.
The volunteer activist further revealed that the RSF had seized control of a significant portion of the city, plundering key installations, including the main market, the local police headquarters, the railway headquarters, and numerous government facilities.
Meanwhile, West Kordofan volunteers issued urgent appeals for safe passage to evacuate civilians trapped in the midst of the fierce fighting, who were facing dire humanitarian conditions exacerbated by a three-day disruption in water and food supplies.
The Sudanese military air force launched a series of intensive airstrikes against RSF targets in the northern, eastern, and western parts of Babanusa.
Social media pages linked to the RSF shared videos depicting soldiers advancing toward the headquarters of the 22nd Infantry Division and dismantling advanced army fortifications.
In contrast, platforms affiliated with the Sudanese army broadcasted footage celebrating the division command soldiers, claiming victories over the RSF’s attacks on the city and displaying photos and videos of numerous RSF casualties within and around the army headquarters.
Reports from Babanusa suggest that the use of residential neighbourhoods for cover during an attack on the Sudanese Army’s 22nd Division Command by the Rapid Support Forces resulted in significant civilian casualties and property damage.
Dozens of civilians were reported to have been killed, and numerous homes and government facilities were destroyed.
These ongoing clashes have exacerbated the already dire humanitarian crisis in West Kordofan, as thousands of civilians remain stranded in conflict zones, deprived of essential supplies.
The fighting is expected to continue in the coming days, posing a grave threat to lives, property, and the already precarious humanitarian situation in the region. Some observers have drawn parallels between the Babanusa conflict and the situation in El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan, where the RSF failed – despite numerous attacks – to seize the army garrison because its soldiers are from the same area and have a strong determination to protect their town.
(ST)