Intense fighting rages outside Wad Madani, causing mass displacement

December 16, 2023 (WAD MADANI) – Intense fighting between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces continued for the second day in a row near Wad Madani, the capital of Al-Jazirah State, prompting a surge in the exodus of civilians from the city.

The hostilities erupted on Friday after the Rapid Support Forces launched a military operation, penetrating into eastern areas of Wad Madani. Fierce clashes ensued, involving the two forces in Al-Alila, Abu Haraz, and Hantoub, before military aircraft intervened, targeting the Rapid Support Forces’ positions.

Eyewitnesses reported that the battlefront extended to the vicinity of Hantoub Bridge, which connects eastern and western Wad Madani. Additionally, significant military reinforcements arrived for the Rapid Support Forces from their bases in Al-Ailfoun and various locations in Khartoum State’s eastern Nile.

The army’s airpower unleashed intense airstrikes on the Rapid Support Forces’ gatherings in Abu Haraz, Inqaz neighbourhood, and a Central Reserve Forces camp of the Sudanese police situated east of Wad Madani.

The relentless clashes, reaching the outskirts of Hantoub Bridge, sparked a continuation of the mass displacement of the majority of Wad Madani’s residents. Images depict crowds of individuals converging on transportation hubs in the city’s central market, while others carry their belongings on foot.

In response to the escalating conflict, the Sudanese army closed the Rifa’a city bridge, east of Al-Jazirah State, to prevent the Rapid Support Forces from utilizing it to advance towards the city from the west.

The designated governor of Al-Jazirah Statee, al-Tahir Ibrahim, issued an emergency order imposing a curfew throughout the state, effective from 6 PM to 6 AM daily. Furthermore, he prohibited all gatherings and ordered the closure of markets in the evening hours.

Wad Madani, the capital of Al-Jazirah State, has been bearing the brunt of the conflict, providing refuge to more than 1.5 million displaced residents from Khartoum State since the military confrontations between the army and the Rapid Support Forces erupted on April 15.

(ST)