Army-allied forces claim victory over RSF in North Darfur clash

December 28, 2024 (AL-MALHA) – A coalition of forces allied with the Sudanese army said on Saturday it had destroyed three Rapid Support Forces (RSF) vehicles heading towards Al-Malha in North Darfur state, where fighting has raged for months.

The joint force, which includes factions led by Minni Arko Minawi, Jibril Ibrahim, and others, said it acted alongside the Sudanese army to destroy the RSF units in Drei Shaqi and Jabal Issa.

“These mobile units were on their way to attack Al-Malha locality,” the joint force said in a statement. “We captured some personnel, seized combat vehicles, and destroyed others.”

The RSF, which is fighting against the Sudanese army, disputed the account. In videos circulated online, RSF fighters claimed victory in the clash and displayed captured four-wheel drive vehicles and prisoners. An RSF spokesperson said in a statement that the joint force “suffered a defeat on the desert axis near Al-Malha.”

The conflicting claims highlight the ongoing struggle for control in North Darfur, where the army and its allied forces have been trying to break an RSF siege on the city of Al-Fasher that began in April.

Minawi, governor of the Darfur region, took to social media to claim that the RSF had suffered “heavy losses. “Now we can say that the end is near,” he posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Finance Minister Jibril Ibrahim, who also heads the Justice and Equality Movement, congratulated the Sudanese people on the “victory” in Drei Shaqi and asserted that the RSF would not “last a moment” after this defeat.

The fighting in North Darfur underscores the broader conflict that has engulfed Sudan since the army and the RSF turned on each other in April. Neither side has been able to achieve a decisive victory in the region.