The Sudan Liberation Army Movement, aligned with the Sudanese army, has decided to suspend its activities and close all its offices in areas controlled by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), accusing them of attempting to establish a new state in the Darfur region. According to Sudan News website, this decision comes concurrently with the renewed outbreak of violent clashes in North Kordofan state.
On Sunday, the movement reported that local residents in a village in the rural Hasahisa area repelled an attack by a unit of the Rapid Support Forces. The movement indicated that the RSF unit committed extensive thefts, which incited the anger of civilians. The Sudan Liberation Army accused the Rapid Support Forces of firing at unarmed citizens, resulting in one death and several injuries.
Earlier, Minni Minnawi, the governor of the Darfur region and leader of the Sudan Liberation Army, stated on Sunday that the Rapid Support Forces are increasingly expanding their control with the intention of imposing a new state delineation in Western Sudan.
Minnawi’s comments on the “X” platform read: “As the joint force becomes lenient in favor of leaving doors open for dialogue for peaceful coexistence in Sudan generally, and particularly in Darfur, after the current situation ends, the Rapid Support Forces take advantage of this tolerance to expand their control with the purpose of imposing a new state recognition as planned.”
Minnawi continued in his post, saying, “The Rapid Support Forces’ attack on Mellit means encircling Al Fashir from all sides with the aim of starving it and preventing the flow of humanitarian supplies and necessities of life, thus forcing the people of Darfur to accept the status quo. This situation will lead to making another unconventional decision for other Darfur cities currently in a state of abduction after being controlled and turned into ghost towns.”
Despite Minnawi’s statements, the Sudanese Civil Democratic Forces “Progress” announced last Friday a commitment by both warring parties in the country, the army and the Rapid Support Forces, to return to the negotiation path in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The Chairman of the Sovereignty Council of Sudan, Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, stated last Friday that he is “not prepared to negotiate with the Rapid Support Forces as long as the war continues,” emphasizing his commitment to the “Jeddah Platform” and the need for the Rapid Support Forces to fulfill their pledged commitments.
Last Monday, April 15, marked the first anniversary of the outbreak of large-scale conflict in Sudan, which has resulted in the deaths of thousands of civilians, the displacement of millions, and significant destruction of the country’s infrastructure, especially in the capital, Khartoum.
