KEY POINTS
- RSF reclaims al-Zurug base from army-aligned Joint Forces.
- Clashes escalate ethnic tensions and fuel humanitarian concerns.
- Fighting in North Darfur continues to impact civilians severely.
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) announced on Sunday that it has recaptured the al-Zurug logistical base in North Darfur, a strategic site previously seized by army-aligned Joint Forces.
The RSF’s retaking of the base underscores the intensity of the ongoing conflict in Sudan, which has ravaged the Darfur region since April 2023.
Al-Zurug is vital for RSF operations, serving as a channel for supplies from neighboring Chad and Libya.
The Joint Forces and the Sudanese army, in a statement on Saturday, claimed that their seizure of the base dealt a significant blow to the RSF, destroying supplies and killing dozens of RSF soldiers.
Accusations of ethnic violence in North Darfur
The RSF has accused the Joint Forces of targeting civilians during their assault on the al-Zurug base.
In a statement, the RSF alleged that homes, public amenities, schools, and health centers were destroyed, leaving families devastated.
“The Joint Forces carried out ethnic cleansing against innocent civilians in al-Zurug and intentionally killed children, women, and the elderly,” the RSF claimed.
According to Reuters, the Joint Forces, however, asserted that the RSF had used the base as a launching point for attacks on civilians in al-Fashir, the capital of North Darfur.
The area has seen heavy artillery fire, airstrikes, and attacks via drones since mid-April, resulting in the deaths of at least 782 civilians, according to the United Nations.
Escalation in fighting threatens civilians
The situation in al-Fashir has worsened, with activists reporting over 30 missile strikes targeting the city on Sunday alone.
Control over this city could strengthen the RSF’s efforts to establish a parallel government to Sudan’s national administration in Port Sudan, analysts say.
The violence in Darfur, fueled by ethnic divisions between Arab tribes aligned with the RSF and the Zaghawa tribe that dominates the Joint Forces, continues to raise humanitarian concerns.
Civilians are bearing the brunt of the conflict, with displacement, loss of life, and destruction of essential infrastructure becoming all too common.
Efforts to resolve the conflict remain elusive, as both sides accuse the other of targeting non-combatants and intensify their military campaigns to gain territorial control.
