Sudan Shield Forces capture town from RSF in Al Jazirah Sstate

December 30, 2024 (WAD RAWAH) – Sudan Shield Forces, allied with the Sudanese army, seized control of the town of Wad Rawah in Al Jazirah state from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in a surprise attack on Monday, the group’s leader said.

Abu Aqla Kikl, commander of the Sudan Shield Forces, said in a video seen by Sudan Tribune that his troops had captured Wad Rawah, about 70 kilometres (43 miles) north of the Sudanese capital Khartoum on the road linking Khartoum and Wad Madani, the capital of Al Jazirah state.

Video clips later circulated online, apparently filmed by Kikl’s soldiers from the nearby village of Al-Eidj.

The town of Wad Rawah lies northeast of Tambul in the Butana Plain, a region where the RSF has been accused of widespread human rights abuses.

Kikl, a former RSF commander, defected to the army last October. In the video, he indicated that the operation was part of a broader effort to reclaim Al Jazirah state. The RSF has controlled Wad Madani and most of the state since December last year.

Sudan Shield Forces seized five RSF combat vehicles equipped with anti-aircraft guns, the group said. They also claimed to have killed and captured a number of RSF troops.

Informed sources told Sudan Tribune that the Sudan Shield Forces were unlikely to maintain a permanent presence in Wad Rawah, suggesting the operation was tactical. The town is located in an area where RSF troops are widely deployed.

The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the operation aimed to increase pressure on RSF forces stationed east of the Nile in Khartoum state. The RSF is already facing pressure from the army on the Khartoum Bahri front.

The RSF did not immediately comment on the reported capture of Wad Rawah.

Sudan has been gripped by a devastating conflict between the army and the RSF since April last year. The fighting has displaced millions of people and triggered a humanitarian crisis.