Eid in Sudan: 'Nothing is worth all this destruction'
Eid in Sudan: 'Nothing is worth all this destruction'
Fighting continues in El Fasher as RSF advance deeper into the city
Fighting and mass mobilization of soldiers continues in Sudan as the country’s majority Muslim population celebrates Eid al-Adha, a holiday associated with prayer, sacrifice, charity, and the Mecca pilgrimage.
The Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) are battling the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary from Darfur that rebelled against Sudan’s army last year. The war has caused catastrophic damage to the national capital, devastated national commerce and industry, and disrupted agriculture, inducing starvation in some areas.
Critics of the war continue to call for negotiations and demilitarization, but the Sudanese anti-war movement has so far failed to gain much traction. In a statement today, Khalid Omer Yousif, the vice chairman of the opposition Sudanese Congress Party and former minister of cabinet affairs, lamented the sad state of the country on what would have been an otherwise joyful occasion:
“The fourth Eid has passed since calamity struck our country and it was torn apart by evil. Twelve million people were separated, including displaced persons and refugees. They did not enjoy the taste of their homes for this Eid. Joy is no longer joy, and no concern occupies the mind except the question of when this nightmare will end and peace will come as an alternative to this damned war.
“Since the war broke out, people have been divided into two camps: one camp sided with the warring parties and thought that military victory was possible. It promoted that this war was legitimate for this or that reason, and that its price was small, as long as the goal was lofty and worth crossing this sea of blood to achieve it; another group rejected this strife and worked to stop the war, stressing that it will last a long time and that nothing is worth all this destruction.
“Any person has the right to take whatever positions he wants, but when you take a position you must have the courage necessary to bear its consequences. This is what shames a large sector of supporters of the military solution option and those promoting the legitimacy of this war. A large sector of them avoids accepting the horrific moral consequences of this option and searches for excuses to wipe away the blood that stains their positions… He flees, cloaked in the lies he propagates to create a world of illusion that does not cover his nakedness, like Pharaoh when he emerged stripped of every garment except the garment of false delusions.
“On the other hand, the anti-war position is a difficult position and not an easy walk... Campaigners of the slogan “No to war” have faced lies and misleading campaigns [Yousif’s anti-war coalition, known as Taqaddum, faces frequent allegations of supporting the RSF], but this did not deter them from continuing on the path to achieving their goal. The attempts of intimidation and enticement and the shouts of the mob from all sides did not silence them…
“What goal is greater than for the sounds of guns to be silenced, for peace to come to our country, for the bloodshed to stop, for people to return to their homes… and for us to accept coexistence in a homeland in which no tyrant rules?
“We will reach these great goals, even if it takes a long time. Until that time, we will be patient and bear the consequences of the road and will not pay attention to those who spread lies. Our position is clear and unequivocal. We are against war and against its crimes, and we believe that its continuation for even one day longer will not bring any good to our country. We have not and will not take sides with any of its parties. We are only biased towards peace and the security and prosperity of our people. This is our position in word and deed and we will not budge from it.”
On the other hand, in speeches yesterday in Sudan, military leaders vowed victory over the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, saying they would not negotiate or surrender, no matter the price. “We will not postpone the war by concluding a truce and conducting negotiations, only for the war to return (again) after a year or two. No. We will gather our resolve to get rid of this nightmare, this cancer, once and for all,” said Lt Gen Yasir al-Atta, a top member of Sudan’s military junta.
Similarly, North Kordofan Governor Abdel-Khaleq Wadullah, who is affiliated with the military government based in Port Sudan, announced an “imminent end of the war and victory of the armed Forces over the rebel militia,” according to state-run SUNA. He was speaking at the El Obeid Great Mosque after performing the Eid prayers.
Leaders on both sides have claimed a quick victory for more than a year, but the country remains deeply divided (map here), with no military victory in sight for either side any time soon.
Meanwhile, the commander-in-chief of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, signaled his openness to talks with the Sudanese military, according to a voice recording released by the yesterday. At the same time, he deflected all blame for a massacre committed by his troops last month, and for ongoing fighting in El Fasher, where his troops are carrying out an offensive despite a demand by the UN Security Council and other intentional bodies that they halt their attack.
El Fasher clashes: Tagro Junction
Fighting in El Fasher, North Darfur, has raged for two months, mostly on the outskirts of the city, but recently the attacking RSF have penetrated deeper into El Fasher, closer to the city center and the army’s stronghold, the headquarters of the 6th Infantry Division, according to videos verified by our partner, OSINT Sudan.
On June 14, 2024, a pro-RSF account posted a video clip on X/Twitter showing members of the RSF shooting in southern El Fasher, North Darfur.
In the clip, the cameraman points out their proximity to El Fasher - Nyala road (B26) inside the city of El Fasher, the identified location is ~350 meters south of the Taqro Junction on B26 road, and is located ~4 kilometers (on asphalt) south of the headquarters of the 6th Infantry Division, the last divisional headquarters remaining in Daruf that has not yet fallen to the Rapid Support Forces.
Coordinates: 13.601947, 25.349142
Date: 14 June 2024
Source: https://twitter.com/MohamedYas25599/status/1801691469989937523
Geolocation Proof:
The next day, on June 15, 2024, a pro-SAF account posted a video clip on X/Twitter showing a combined force of SAF, and SAF-allied armed movements 90 meters south of the Taqro Juction firing heavily eastwards, the length of the shadows in the video indicated it was filmed after the RSF video on June 14.
El Fasher clashes: South Hospital
On June 15, 2024, a pro-RSF account posted a video on X/Twitter showing RSF engaged in a confrontation on the southern street of El Fasher South Hospital. Previously, the OSINT Sudan team verified that the RSF entered into the hospital itself.
Doctors Without Borders, which had been supporting this hospital, evacuated its team due to the fighting in the area. The constant threat to medical facilities and personnel means that civilians who are injured in the cross-fire and shelling in El Fasher sometimes go without treatment and die of their wounds.
Among the latest victims were a woman and two of her children killed today, Monday, and another person who was injured, as a result of RSF artillery shelling, according to a report by Darfur 24, citing a resident of the Abu Shouk al-Hilla neighborhood.
El Fasher clashes: SAF airdrops to besieged troops
The city is surrounded by RSF, and the troops of the 6th Infantry Division, the allied Justice and Equality Movement (Gibril Ibrahim), and the allied Sudan Liberation Movement (Minni Minawi) are being supplied by airdrops.
Researchers at the Humanitarian Research Lab at Yale School of Public Health identified an Ilyushin aircraft flying east of El Fasher on 11 June 2024 in images taken by Maxar satellites (commercial), and the researchers identified the direction of the aircraft to the north-east.
On January 15, 2024, Wim Zwijnenburg (a @bellingcat contributor) posted on X/Twitter an image of Port Sudan International Airport taken by Planet Satellite showing an Ilyushin aircraft (IL-76). According to the 2024 World Air Forces directory, the Sudanese Air Force has one active Ilyushin aircraft (IL-76).
An alternative explanation is that the IL-76 belongs to the UAE and was used to supply lethal aid to the RSF. This theory is based on previous alleged UAE deliveries of assistance to the RSF via the Amdjarass airport in eastern Chad, according to a report by the UN Panel of Experts tasked with monitoring an arms embargo on Darfur.
News in Brief
SAF reconnaissance forces reached fairly deep into al-Jazira State during a recent mission, as close as about 20 km to the state capital Wad Madani, according to geolocated video. Afterwards the likely withdrew back toward Managil or northwest Sennar State. The ongoing counter-offensive by SAF, which was launched from Sennar and Gedaref states, has been very gradual, in contrast with the lightning RSF takeover of the state in December 2023.
SAF conducted airstrikes in two areas of the frontline town of Al Qitaynah in White Nile State, damaging several buildings and causing unknown casualties.
Fighting between the RSF and JPA forces continued to in Wadi Ambar in Dar Zaghawa, North Darfur, following fighting in roughly the same area last week. Videos circulated by the RSF suggest the JPA suffered losses and were chased out of the area, though the hit-and-run style of fighting used by both sides makes it difficult to judge which side has the upper hand and controls which areas.
The official spokesman for the Tamazuj Movement, Othman Abdel Rahman Suleiman, announced his resignation from his position. Othman did not give any reasons for submitting his resignation, stressing in the text of his resignation statement that he would remain loyal to the RSF and support the issues it was fighting for. The development marks another step toward the dissolution of the Tamazuj Movement as an independent political and military entity and its absorption by the Rapid Support Forces.
The US Agency for International Development (USAID) announced on June 14 additional $315 million in humanitarian assistance for the people of Sudan. The agency said, “This aid will support USAID partners continuing to provide critical food, nutrition, protection, health, and water and sanitation assistance. Justin Brady, the Head of Office of the UN humanitarian coordination agency in Sudan (OCHA), commented: “A welcome injection of resources not a moment too soon. That it almost doubles the registered resources, of which USAID is the largest contributor with over $100m, speaks to how low the funding has been.”
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