RSF exploited security breach to attack hospital in North Darfur’s capital
June 10, 2024 (EL FASHER) – A security lapse exploited by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has led to an attack on the South Hospital in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, sparking outrage and accusations against the Joint Darfur Force responsible for the city’s southern flank.
A military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, informed Sudan Tribune that elements of the joint force guarding the southern axis were tricked into withdrawing from their positions, allowing the RSF to infiltrate El Fasher.
Sudan Tribune’s investigation revealed that the joint force stationed in the Al-Salam neighbourhood in southern El Fasher received deceptive orders from individuals disguised in Joint Force uniforms, instructing them to retreat due to inclement weather and rain. Subsequently, an RSF unit, using civilian vehicles, entered the city centre through this opening and attacked the South Hospital, the only functioning medical facility in the area.
Upon discovering the breach, a Sudanese army force, supported by elements of the Joint Force stationed at the nearby market, engaged the RSF, ultimately driving them southeast of the city.
Joint Force spokesman Ahmed Hussein Mustafa vehemently denied issuing any withdrawal orders for the Al-Salam neighbourhood. He alleged that the RSF exploited a security vulnerability with the assistance of individuals affiliated with Al-Hadi Idris’s Sudan Liberation Movement-Transitional Council (SLM-TC) and Tahir Hajar’s faction of the Gathering of Sudan Liberation Forces (GSLF), both of which have declined to support the army against the RSF.
Hussein informed Sudan Tribune that they possess evidence implicating members of these groups in destabilizing El Fasher’s security. He stated that these individuals impersonate Joint Force personnel, utilize civilian vehicles, and operate among civilians, providing the RSF with intelligence on the movements and locations of Joint Force units. He pledged to decisively address this threat soon.
Sources disclosed that several individuals were apprehended on the day of the hospital attack, confessing to being members of Hajer’s group and admitting to entering the hospital before the RSF’s arrival.
However, SLM-TC leader Al-Hadi Idris refuted these allegations, emphasizing that his forces withdrew from El Fasher over two months ago. He attributed the accusations to his neutral stance and calls for a ceasefire.
Idris urged civilians to avoid conflict zones and reiterated his plea for both warring parties to establish safe corridors for civilians to evacuate the city.
This incident follows a similar event in May when the army’s abrupt withdrawal from its northern El Fasher defences allowed the RSF to infiltrate the Abu Shouk camp, leading to widespread violence against displaced individuals, including killings, looting, and arson before they were pushed back to the Mellit gate.