Sudanese army airstrikes RSF forces near Sennar

December 24, 2023 (SENNAR) –– Sudanese volunteer group reported on Sunday that Sudanese army warplanes bombed Rapid Support Forces (RSF) troops near Sennar, a central Sudanese city, in an apparent attempt to halt the RSF’s advance towards the city.

The Sennar Youth Gathering issued a statement saying, “In the ongoing battles between the army and the RSF, warplanes targeted RSF forces in the Sennar sugar factory area, located west of the state.”

Since the RSF extended their control over the entirety of Al-Jazirah State on December 18, they have moved into areas near Sennar State, establishing outposts in Hajj Abdallah and Wad Al-Haddad, located south of Madani.

On Saturday, intense clashes erupted between the army and the RSF in villages belonging to Wad Al-Haddad locality in Al-Jazirah State, before the RSF expanded their presence and set up a base at the Sennar Sugar Factory.

The deteriorating security situation sparked widespread confusion in Sennar, with merchants beginning to withdraw their goods. However, market activity gradually resumed as security forces deployed extensively, according to eyewitness accounts.

Since December 15, Sennar, located 110 kilometres south of Madani, has been accommodating a large influx of people fleeing the conflict in Al-Jazirah State. Some of these displaced individuals have been sheltered in schools that have been converted into temporary shelters, while others remain in the city’s popular and large markets without adequate shelter.

Concerns are mounting that the RSF will expand their reach towards Sennar, and Blue Nile states in southeastern Sudan, and the states of Gedaref and Kassala in eastern Sudan, following their complete takeover of Gezira State in the centre.

(ST)