Sudanese general vows military action against Chad
Chad and Sudan have long history of proxy conflict
A high-ranking Sudanese military commander, Lt Gen Yasser Al-Atta, has escalated regional tensions by threatening military action against South Sudan and Chad.
In a speech on Sunday evening, he said that two Chadian airports, including the capital N’djamena, were “legitimate military targets.” Al-Atta is the assistant commander in chief of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and a member of the Transitional Sovereignty Council, which seized power in Sudan in a coup in 2021, derailing a transition to civilian rule following an already long military dictatorship.
The general's incendiary remarks were made during a funeral in Gederef State for members of a military media unit killed by RSF drones at the presidential palace in Khartoum following the army's takeover of the site last Friday.
Al-Atta and other members of the military have accused Chad of working with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to destabilize Sudan by supporting the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) — the armed group engaged in a conflict with the army since 2023.
Before mutinying in 2023, the RSF were a long-time ally of the Sudanese military. They were formed from Arab ethnic militias in Darfur, colloquially called “Janjaweed,” which were instrumental in a brutal counter-insurgency campaign in Darfur’s last war.
In his remarks, Al-Atta specifically attacked the president of Chad, Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno (also called “Kaka”). He said:
“We will retaliate against the UAE for the corrupt client centers of influence in South Sudan. We will retaliate against Mahamat Kaka. And we warn him that the N’Djamena Airport and the Amdjarass Airport are legitimate targets for the Sudanese Armed Forces.”
Mahamat Déby’s father was also the president of Chad. During his long rule, he sponsored Sudanese rebels in Darfur, until a rapprochement with Sudan in 2010.
Al-Atta’s remarks compound earlier accusations. The general has repeatedly maintained that Sudan’s neighbors are aiding the RSF. In past statements, he has also threatened to deploy SAF intelligence to possibly triggers wars in Chad and has suggested that South Sudanese fighters form 65 percent of the RSF’s ranks.
In response, Chad’s foreign ministry voiced strong disapproval and emphasized its neutral stance in the ongoing Sudanese conflict. The ministry also reiterated Chad’s right to defend its sovereignty.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Chad strongly condemns these irresponsible statements, which can be interpreted as a declaration of war if followed by action,” the ministry said in a statement issued by spokesman Ibrahim Adam Mahamat. “Such rhetoric could lead to a dangerous escalation for the entire sub-region. Chad reserves the legitimate right to vigorously respond to any attempt of aggression against our country, no matter its origin."
The statement denied that Chad is involved in Sudan’s conflict, saying “the conflict in Sudan is an internal matter, for which the warring parties are solely responsible. Despite affirmations of neutrality, Chad is reported to have allowed the UAE to use its territory to transport arms to the RSF, according to UN arms monitors, The New York Times, and OSINT investigators, who tracked flights and other data.
Additionally, Chad has a minority Arab population, which has contributed fighters to the RSF’s ranks. Moreover, RSF leaders have operated from Chad, and the RSF has exported looted goods and vehicles from Sudan via Chad for the past two years.
Relations with South Sudan deteriorating
Al-Atta’s threat also sparked immediate condemnation from South Sudan, whose foreign ministry issued a robust response:
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Republic of South Sudan expresses its deep concern and strong condemnation of recent public statements made by General Yasir Al-Atta, Assistant Deputy Commander in Chief of the Sudanese Armed Forces, in which he issued threats of military aggression against the people and sovereignty of South Sudan. We remain vigilant and prepared to defend our nation against any form of aggression while continuing to pursue diplomatic solutions to maintain peace in our region."
Al-Atta’s hostile rhetoric comes at a precarious moment in the already precarious relationship between Sudan and South Sudan. South Sudan has insisted on neutrality in the ongoing conflict in Sudan, but reports emerged recently that it allowed fuel shipments to the RSF and the establishment of a UAE field hospital near the Sudanese border, which could treat wounded RSF fighters.
Meanwhile, South Sudan itself is undergoing its own escalating political and security crisis, as the two parties to a peace agreement made in 2018 are increasingly at odds.
Though the conflicts in Sudan and South Sudan are separate, they risk becoming intertwined. Fighting erupted recently along the Sudan-South Sudan border in Upper Nile State between RSF fighters and South Sudan’s main opposition group, SPLA-IO.
The skirmish in Renk County, Upper Nile State, which lasted two days, involved an ambush by the RSF on SPLA-IO fighters near the border village of Dukduk, located between Renk County and Tadamon Locality in Blue Nile State. The clash resulted in the deaths of three senior SPLA-IO generals, as well as an unconfirmed number of of SPLA-IO troops, while the RSF also captured a significant number of prisoners.
The SPLA-IO forces involved in the confrontation had left Nasir and Maiwut in Upper Nile state, reportedly heading towards Bout, the capital of Tadamon Locality, to collect weapons provided by the Sudanese army. South Sudanese intelligence tipped off the RSF about the movement, leading to the ambush of the SPLA-IO forces.
These events point to a growing proxy conflict between the two Sudans, echoing past alliances where both countries supported each other's rebel groups. For instance, South Sudan previously allied with Sudanese rebels such as the SPLM-North and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), while Sudan backed the SPLA-IO during South Sudan’s civil war from 2013 to 2018, among other factions.
