Panic in Sennar as RSF launch attack west of the city
RSF strike behind enemy lines into Sennar State
Residents of Sennar, a city along the Blue Nile in central Sudan, were gripped by fear on Monday as clashes erupted between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) west of the city.
Authorities in Sennar shut down the main roads, closed shops and schools, and reportedly dispatched forces west toward Jebel Moya to counter the RSF attack. One resident of the city described a situation of confusion and fear: “People are completely lost. There is no reliable information about the fighting. Shops are closed, schools are shut down, and all roads leading west out of Sennar are blocked.”
The fighting began when RSF troops launched an attack on Jebel Moya, a group of granite hills located 24 kilometers west of Sennar town.
Videos circulating online, reviewed by Sudan War Monitor, show RSF soldiers riding on technicals next to the Moya hills, appearing in the Jebel Moya market, and along the Rabak-Sennar highway, though not on top of Jebel Moya itself.
RSF propagandists also circulated videos of their troops with the bodies of dead Sudanese soldiers and captured equipment. Sudan War Monitor determined that some of these videos were recycled footage of prior clashes elsewhere, though some appeared to be authentically from today’s clashes. A death toll is not available.
The attack this morning was preceded by an RSF reconnaissance mission in the Jebel Moya area using motorcycles last week.
RSF's advance into this area, even if temporary, threatens the Sennar-Rabak highway and imperils the SAF advance in areas closer to the Sennar-Jazira State border. Jebel Moya is about 20-30 km to the rear of previously confirmed frontline SAF positions.
“Overall, today’s attack had the appearance of a fast-moving raid, rather than a full-scale invasion of the kind that targeted Wad Madani last December.”
Later on Monday, in response to RSF’s claims of a victory in Jebel Moya, SAF propagandists reported that the army had repelled the attack and also announced that SAF troops recaptured the Sennar Sugar Factory and surrounding villages. However, Sudan War Monitor has not been able to independently verify this information, and there was no visual evidence so far to support the claim.
Overall, today’s attack had the appearance of a fast-moving raid, rather than a full-scale invasion of the kind that targeted Wad Madani last December. Throughout the war, the RSF’s key advantage over the SAF has been maneuver, so it is unsurprising to see them attempting to raid and outflank SAF troops along an otherwise static frontline.
RSF’s hit-and-run tactics force the SAF to spread its resources thin, requiring multiple echelons of defense along this extended front, due to the risk of attacks in the rear.
If the Sudanese army cannot contain this risk, they will not be able to sustain an offensive into Al Jazira State, which they announced about three months ago. The army have made barely any progress toward their announced goal of recapturing Wad Madani, the Jazira State capital. They captured only a few villages in the state along the Jazira state border, such as Al Khayari, while enduring attacks in Sennar.
In addition to the fighting in Jebel Moya, artillery shells landed on the outskirts of Sennar town. These were probably launched from the RSF-controlled area near Wad al-Haddad. RSF accounts circulated videos of these artillery firing in the area today. The 122 mm rocket artillery closely resembles the Sudanese-manufactured Taka-2, an indigenous weapon system equipped with an eight-tube launcher.
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