Sudanese army advances in Al Jazirah state, retakes key locations
December 2, 2024 (UM AL-QURA, Al-Jazirah state) — The Sudanese army and its allied forces tightened their grip on Al Jazirah state in central Sudan Monday, recapturing key locations south and east of the state that were previously under the control of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Soldiers released video footage confirming their control of the Um Al-Qura locality, which borders Gedaref state and lies about 40 kilometres (25 miles) east of Wad Madani, the capital of Al Jazirah state.
Abu Aqla Kikl, the former RSF commander in Al Jazirah state who joined the army in late October, appeared in a video surrounded by army forces inside Um Al-Qura.
Army forces also established control over the West Sennar Sugar Factory, about 60 kilometres (37 miles) southwest of Wad Madani, and combed the surrounding villages that the RSF had been using as a main base, taking advantage of the industrial facility’s infrastructure.
Local sources informed Sudan Tribune that army forces reached the bridge of Wad Al-Haddad town, about 7 kilometres (4 miles) south of RSF positions in Al-Haj Abdullah city of Al-Jazirah.
In addition, military sources confirmed to Sudan Tribune the army’s advance on the West Sennar Sugar Factory axis (south) and Um Al-Qura axis (east), pointing out that it would allow the army forces in Al Manaqil, west of Wad Madani, to advance towards the state capital. The vanguard of this axis is currently positioned in the village of Al-Madina Arab, about 16 kilometres (10 miles) west of Wad Madani.
The RSF seized control of Wad Madani in December 2023 and extended its reach to Sennar state in the south.
In October, the army regained control of the strategic Jebel Moya area on the national road linking Sennar, Al Jazirah, and White Nile states. It then extended its control to the cities of Al-Dinder, Wad Al-Nil, Abu Hajar, and Al-Suki before entering Sinjah, the capital of Sennar state, last week.
RSF forces still control the areas of Al-Dali and Al-Mazmum in southwest Sennar state, near the border with South Sudan, and parts of Al-Tadamun province in the northwest of the Blue Nile region.
On the Khartoum Bahri axis, local sources reported that army forces made progress in reaching the Al-Zarqa complex on Al-Maouna Street in the Shambat suburb.
In a large-scale ground operation in late September, the army managed to control the Al-Muqran area near central Khartoum, Al-Halfaya, Al-Azirqab, and the entire Al-Kadru suburb north of Khartoum Bahri in an attempt to penetrate Khartoum Bahri city.
The army plans to break the siege on the army’s general command headquarters in Khartoum and the Signal Corps in the far south of Khartoum Bahri.