Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) reported on Thursday that the Sudanese army carried out air strikes over three days in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur. The RSF stated that the targets included a fuel market, the city’s international airport, and other military positions. Nyala serves as an administrative headquarters for the paramilitary group.
Social media footage reviewed by news agencies showed a significant fire and thick smoke at the fuel market following one of the strikes. The Sudanese military did not immediately issue a statement regarding the operation.
Youssef Idris Youssef, head of the RSF’s civil administration in South Darfur, accused the army of targeting civilians. He described the strikes as part of a policy to penalize residents of Darfur. Reports indicated casualties among both civilians and RSF members. Following the strikes, local sources said that RSF intelligence services detained several civilians and military personnel near the market, accusing them of providing coordinates to the army.
Nyala is the center of the RSF’s parallel governing body, known as TASIS, which it announced in July. The city and its airport have been targeted by the army in previous operations, including in October.
The reports from Nyala come amid continued fighting in the broader Darfur region. This week, the RSF announced it had taken control of the Abu Qumra area in North Darfur. However, joint forces aligned with the Sudanese army disputed RSF claims of capturing the town of Karnoi.
The conflict in Darfur has drawn international attention. The United States has stated that the RSF has committed genocide in the region, and rights groups have documented other abuses.
These military actions occurred as diplomatic efforts continue. Two days prior, Sudan’s Prime Minister, Kamil Idris, presented a peace proposal to the United Nations Security Council. The plan called for the RSF to withdraw from captured territories and participate in disarmament programs ahead of future elections. The RSF rejected the proposal, with a spokesman telling Radio Dabanga it was “wishful thinking.”
On Thursday, a senior official in Sudan’s Transitional Sovereignty Council stated there would be “no truce and no negotiation with an occupier.” On the same day, Sudan’s de facto leader, Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara. A statement from Erdogan’s office said he expressed support for peace efforts and opposed any division of Sudan.
The war between the Sudanese army and the RSF began in April 2023. According to the U.N., the conflict has resulted in more than 100,000 deaths and has displaced nearly 14 million people, creating one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises.
