Halfaya Bridge in Khartoum partially destroyed, army blames RSF sabotage

 July 1, 2024 (OMDURMAN) – The Sudanese army announced on Monday that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) partially destroyed the Halfaya Bridge over the Nile River. The bridge, situated north of the Sudanese capital, connects Khartoum Bahri to the east with Omdurman to the west.

Eyewitnesses in Omdurman confirmed to Sudan Tribune that they heard a loud explosion just before midnight on Sunday, similar to the explosions heard when the Shambat Bridge, which also links Khartoum Bahri and Omdurman but from the south, was destroyed.

The spokesman for the Sudanese army, Brigadier General Nabil Abdullah, said in a press statement that the RSF destroyed the eastern section of the Halfaya Bridge on Sunday night, causing damage to the concrete structure.

The RSF controls the Halfaya Bridge from the Khartoum Bahri side, while the army controls the Omdurman side of the bridge, which was built in 2010.

Brigadier General Abdullah further stated, “The militia has a history of attempting to destroy infrastructure and vital facilities to cover up its failure to achieve its malicious goals, believing that this would prevent the armed forces from carrying out their duty in cleansing the homeland of their filth.”

In November of last year, the Shambat Bridge connecting Khartoum Bahri and Omdurman from the eastern side was destroyed, with both the Sudanese army and the RSF blaming each other for the destruction of the bridge, which was built in the 1960s.

A week after the Shambat Bridge was destroyed, the RSF rushed to control the city of Jabal Awliya, about 45 kilometres south of the capital Khartoum, to destroy the Jabal Awliya Dam Bridge. The two warring parties again traded accusations over the destruction of the facility, which was built in 1937.

Bridges in Khartoum state are strategically important for both sides in the conflict, as they are used to deliver logistical supplies and support during battles.