Darfur Joint Force declares war on Rapid Support Forces
Darfur Joint Force declares war on Rapid Support Forces
Former rebels renounce neutrality and align with Sudanese army
The Joint Force of Armed Struggle Movements (JSAMF), a coalition comprising various armed groups from Sudan's Darfur region, has formally renounced neutrality and declared war on the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). This decision aligns them with the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF), which has been engaged in conflict with the RSF since April of last year.
The announcement was made in a press statement following a meeting of the Joint Force's leadership on Thursday in El Fasher. The JSAMF cited ongoing provocations, insults, attacks, and the hindering of humanitarian aid by the RSF as the primary reasons for ending their neutrality. The force also referenced a “treacherous operation” carried out by the RSF against one of the Darfur armed groups, despite assurances of neutrality.
“The Joint Force of Armed Struggle declares that there is no neutrality anymore and it will fight alongside its allies, nationalists, and the Armed Forces against the RSF militia and their mercenary allies. The Joint Force will not wait to be in a defensive position; rather, the only means of defense is offense,” the statement reads in part.
The Joint Force consists principally of troops of the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/A) led by Minni Minnawi, and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) led by Jibril Ibrahim, as well as elements of smaller groups. It is led by Minnawi’s top field commander, Lt. Gen. Juma Hagar. The bulk of its forces are in North Darfur.
The political leaders of JEM and SLM-MM already renounced their neutrality in November, initiating limited operations against RSF in Eastern Sudan and Omdurman. But the field commanders in North Darfur until now mostly avoided conflict with RSF, operating principally within El Fasher, which the RSF avoided attacking.
The decision by Minnawi and Jibril's factions to abandon neutrality caused discord within the Joint Force. This led to the withdrawal of the Sudan Liberation Movement – Transitional Council (SLM-TC), led by El Hadi Idris, and the Gathering of Sudan Liberation Forces (GSLF), led by Tahir Hajar, two weeks ago. Their departure paved the way for the entire force to enter the conflict on the side of SAF.
Yesterday’s announcement emphasized that the JSAMF will shift from a defensive posture to an offensive one, saying,
“The Joint Force is not neutral and will fight the Rapid Support Forces militia wherever they are found. Defense was imposed by neutrality, and offense is now imposed by the lack of neutrality. Just as fasting is imposed by Ramadan, so is breaking the fast imposed by Sha'ban and the remaining months of the year.”
The announcement by the Joint Force follows a recent declaration by a senior RSF commander in Darfur. He branded forces from JEM and SLM/A as “legitimate military targets” and characterized Minnawi as a pawn of Sudan's former dictator, Omar al-Bashir, implicating him in what he termed “dark plans” for Darfur.
RSF rhetoric against the Darfur movements escalated in recent weeks as the movements deployed forces toward al-Jazira State. An ongoing SAF offensive seeking to recapture the state is being supported by JEM, SLM/A-MM and SLM/A faction led by Mustafa Tambour.
For context, the JSAMF was formed after the 2020 Juba Peace Agreement between the Sudanese government and several Darfur rebel groups. As envisioned in the agreement, it would consist of 6,000 soldiers from the military and an 6,000 from various Darfur factions, but the military never contributed its share of forces. The Joint Force was thus incompletely formed at the time the new civil war broke out in 2023. Since then, it served principally as a mechanism for maintaining unity between the two largest Darfur movements, JEM and SLM/A-MM.
Meanwhile, fighting erupted last night in El Fasher near the northern entrance to the city, and airstrikes were also reported. It’s unclear which parties were involved and details are not yet available. El Fasher is the only city in Darfur still under partial control of the Sudanese army, following the defeat of army garrisons in Zalingei, El Geneina, Nyala, Ed Daien, and other smaller cities last year.
Video
Lt. Gen. Juma Hagar, commander of the Joint Force, addresses his troops in El Fasher.
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