Sudanese army takes initiative in Darfur, repels multiple RSF attacks

On August 16, military and local government sources said the Sudanese army and allied forces repelled two consecutive attacks by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the Bir Saliba area, about 30 km north of el-Geneina, the capital of West Darfur state. This is considered the last important RSF stronghold in western Sudan.

Speaking to Al Jazeera, West Darfur Governor General Bahr al-Din Adam Karama stressed Bir Saliba's strategic significance, as it has a road network linking the capital to the northwestern areas, especially Jebel Moon and Kulbus.

Darfur Regional Governor Minni Arko Minnawi confirmed that Major General Mahdi Adam, nicknamed "Jebel Moon," one of the RSF's most prominent field commanders, was killed in recent clashes. The RSF has not officially confirmed the information, but if true, it would be a major loss and create a command vacuum on the western front for the paramilitary force.

Minnawi also said that the Joint Force of Armed Struggle Movements, a coalition of Darfur rebel groups that signed the 2020 Juba Peace Agreement and now fights alongside the Sudanese army, thwarted RSF attempts to encircle Bir Saliba. One RSF advance came from north of Kulbus while another moved from Sileia in the Jebel Moon area before launching a large-scale attack on the force.

"They bet on the element of surprise to break through the Joint Force's defenses, but they got another lesson," Minnawi said.

Battlefield advantages

Major Mutawakkil Ali Wakil Abu-Ja, spokesman for the Joint Force, said the Sudanese army destroyed more than 38 combat vehicles and seized 27 others during the operation. The RSF commander in the area was also eliminated, and gunmen fled the battlefield, leaving behind dead comrades.

Abu-Ja added that efforts are underway to control the western area and increase pressure on the RSF ahead of what he described as a decisive battle to retake el-Geneina.

Major General Othman Siraj said airstrikes on convoys moving near the border with Chad further isolated the RSF and cut off a key supply route for the force. Army pressure on multiple fronts is preventing the RSF from regrouping, paving the way for a final battle that he believes will take place in el-Geneina.

Fadel Kaya, a leader and advisor of the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army – Transitional Council (SLM/TC), a Darfur rebel faction that split from the original movement and signed the 2020 Juba Agreement, told Al Jazeera that the Joint Force's victory in West Darfur shows the RSF has shifted from gaining territory to withdrawing from key positions.

Drone warfare

In a related development, RSF forces in North Kordofan state, central Sudan, have turned to drone use to compensate for losing the strategic road linking Omdurman to el-Obeid. This road was the RSF's main supply artery before the army regained control on July 27.

Amin Ishaq Zakaria, SLM/TC spokesman, said the RSF's increased drone use reflects "difficult field conditions and loss of ability to fight directly after losing key positions." The Sudanese army also seized several attack drones along the Jabra al-Sheikh axis during the counteroffensive.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported on August 16 that recent escalated clashes have displaced more than 6,650 people from 11 villages in the Sirba area. According to UN estimates, over 13 million people have been displaced since war between the army and RSF broke out in April 2023.

The RSF and its allies have also established an opposition administration, dubbed the Tasis government, to counter the Sudan government based in Port Sudan. Al Jazeera contacted the RSF and the Tasis government regarding developments in the Bir Saliba area but received no response by the time of publication.