Al-Yurae- On Sunday, the Sudanese army carried out an airstrike targeting positions of the ‘Rapid Support Forces’ in West Darfur state, which they have controlled for over a year and a half, according to field sources.
For months, El Geneina, the capital of West Darfur, had been largely untouched by army air raids as the ‘Rapid Support Forces’ had deployed anti-aircraft weapons and jamming systems that temporarily limited the effectiveness of military aircraft.
Later, military sources reported that the army destroyed several of these anti-aircraft positions, enabling it to conduct a number of air sorties recently, including airborne operations in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state, which has been under siege by the ‘Rapid Support Forces’ for over a year.
In a notable field development, eyewitnesses reported that Tijani Karshoum, head of the civil administration in West Darfur state, was injured during the airstrike targeting the local government headquarters, along with several of his companions, including three members of his personal protection team. Darfur24 platform confirmed that the drone directly targeted the headquarters.
The government and the local official’s car, which led to his injury and a number of his companions, while local sources spoke of additional injuries, including two children who were near the site at the time of the attack. This development on the ground comes in light of the escalation of military and humanitarian tensions in the city of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state, where forces stationed there continue to repel repeated attacks by the Rapid Support Forces.
Minni Arko Minawi blamed the “Abu Dhabi regime”
The governor of the Darfur region and head of the Sudan Liberation Movement, Minni Arko Minawi, described the attacks on the city of El Fasher as “amounting to genocide” and blamed the “support” forces, which he said were “supported by the Abu Dhabi regime”, for the violations.
In an interview with Sudan TV during the “Open Day for Advocacy of El Fasher”, Minawi said that “the crimes committed against civilians are unparalleled in the 21st century”, noting that the targeting included gatherings of women and children, and resulted in the deaths of hundreds of the city’s residents in “horrific massacres”, most notably the massacre of the mosque and the massacre of Dar al-Arqam.
He sent a message to the residents of El Fasher, praising their “steadfastness in the face of the siege” and stressing that support is on its way to them, adding
Their ‘bravery will be recorded in the pages of history.’ He also highlighted the role of the National High Committee to Break the Siege of El Fasher, which he said includes representatives from various states, regions, and political leadership in the country. He stated that although the committee has a civilian nature, it plays an important role in supporting efforts to lift the siege on the city.
In the same context, he praised the ‘soldiers on the ground,’ whom he described as ‘valiantly defending El Fasher.’ For more than a year, the Rapid Support Forces have imposed a tight siege on the city of El Fasher, causing severe shortages of food and medicine, amid local reports indicating that residents have resorted to eating animal feed and cow hides to survive.
According to field sources, the number of ground attacks carried out by the forces on the city has exceeded two hundred attacks, in addition to the use of drones and artillery shelling targeting residential neighborhoods.
This ongoing military escalation has led to the deterioration of living and health conditions and created a state of panic among the residents, who face daily risks without any effective international protection.
