Joint Force captures key RSF base in North Darfur

October 2, 2024 (KUTUM) – A force allied with the Sudanese army seized a Rapid Support Forces (RSF) base in North Darfur on Wednesday, inflicting heavy losses and capturing dozens of enemy fighters, a spokesman said.

The Joint Force, comprised of various Darfur armed groups supporting the army, attacked the base at Bir Maza, 28 km (17 miles) north of Kutum, early Wednesday morning. Fierce fighting ensued, involving a range of weaponry, across a wide area, including Al-Mazroub, Jinq, Bridek, and Bir Maza.

“The Joint Force liberated the Bir Maza base,” spokesman Ahmed Hussein Mustafa said in a statement seen by Sudan Tribune. He described the base as a key training and logistics hub for the RSF, facilitating the movement of fighters, fuel, and weapons from Libya and Chad.

Mustafa added that the Joint Force now controls the tri-border area where Sudan, Libya, and Chad meet and has destroyed several RSF desert outposts, including those at Wadi Hor, Wadi Ambar, and Bir Marqi.

Videos circulated online by pro-army sources showed numerous destroyed and burnt-out RSF vehicles at the captured base and on the battlefield. Images of captured RSF fighters were also released.

The RSF has not commented on the Joint Force claims.

This operation follows an escalation of fighting in North Darfur over the past three days, including clashes near Al-Malha, 140 km (87 miles) north of El Fasher, the state capital.

The fighting in North Darfur is part of a broader conflict that erupted in Sudan in May between the army and the RSF, which has spread from the capital, Khartoum, to other regions.