Deadly clashes between Sudanese army and RSF continue in Kordofan’s Babanusa
January 26, 2024 (BABANUSA) – Fierce fighting between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has raged for five days in the city of Babanusa, West Kordofan State, causing widespread destruction, casualties, and displacement among the civilian population.
The RSF launched a major offensive on January 12, aiming to seize control of the headquarters of the 22nd Infantry Division. They engaged in intense battles with the army, which has so far managed to maintain its hold on the base.
Journalist Mohamed Hamdan Al-Bashiri reported that artillery shelling between the two sides has continued unabated, resulting in civilian casualties trapped in the conflict zone.
Despite the RSF’s siege, the army still maintains its command of the 22nd Infantry Division. Loyalist platforms affiliated with the armed forces have released images and videos indicating that the army has reclaimed the headquarters of the 89th Infantry Brigade of the 22nd Division, which had been under RSF control for several days.
Those fleeing the clashes have conveyed harrowing accounts of airstrikes targeting RSF positions in Babanusa neighbourhoods and near Al-Muglad, leaving a trail of devastation and numerous casualties.
Harika Al-Safi, a displaced resident of Babanusa, told Sudan Tribune that preliminary estimates place the death toll at over fifty, with dozens of missing persons, including women, children, and the elderly. The majority of the city’s residents have sought refuge in Al-Muglad and Al-Fula, as well as the villages of Umm Jak, Shuaa, Centaur, Taboun, and others. They face a dire humanitarian situation and urgently need assistance.
Al-Safi also documented instances of RSF violations, including theft of money and phones from those attempting to leave the conflict zone and looting of homes in occupied neighbourhoods.
Fears are mounting regarding the potential for extensive destruction to Babanusa, a strategically located city connecting Kordofan and Darfur, as fighting intensifies within residential areas and critical infrastructure.
El Daein bombed
In a separate development, airstrikes targeted several sites in El Daein, the capital of East Darfur state, late Thursday night. Eyewitnesses reported that fighter jets belonging to the Sudanese army dropped explosive barrels, causing significant damage to the government secretariat, the headquarters of the 20th Infantry Division, the Martyr Organization Mosque, and sites in the Airport and Al-Qobba neighbourhoods.
This marks the first time that military aircraft have targeted El Daein, the historical capital of the Rizeigat tribe, to which the majority of RSF commanders and soldiers belong. The city has been under RSF control since November 2023.
Sudanese military sources claimed that the airstrikes targeted RSF gatherings, command posts, and a fuel and weapons depot en route to Babanusa.
Over the past three weeks, Sudanese military aviation has intensified its operations against Darfur, carrying out airstrikes in South, West, and North Darfur states.
(ST)