Sudan: Thousands Flee As War Reaches Second-Largest City

Facts

• The war between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) reached the city of Wad Madani over the weekend. Wad Madani is the country’s second-largest city, opening a new front in a war that erupted in April. ¹
• Thousands of displaced people were forced to flee as the RSF reportedly set up a base in the capital of the al-Jazirah state, south of Khartoum. According to UN figures, more than 86K displaced people live in the city, with more than 270K of its 700K population relying on humanitarian aid. ²
• The state capital was attacked from various directions on Friday and Saturday, with Sudanese forces attempting to push back the paramilitary fighters. The RSF has also been seen advancing on both el-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state in the west, and the town of Babanosa in the south of West Kordofan state.³
• The East African body IGAD [Intergovernmental Authority on Development] urged an end to the clashes, saying it is ‘extremely concerned by the resurgence of conflict,’ while the US ambassador to Sudan, John Godfrey, called on the RSF to halt its regional advance and assault on Wad Madani, warning of a ‘significant disruption of humanitarian assistance efforts.’ ⁴
• Meanwhile, the RSF reportedly withdrew from Wad Madani on Sunday as the Sudanese military continued conducting airstrikes against their positions and bases east of the city. Local organizations claimed that the military repelled the retreating RSF forces towards the town of Rifa’ah, about 54 km (33 mi) north of Wad Madani. ⁵
• Following eight months of war, which has led to 6.6M people displaced inside and outside of Sudan, the World Food Program warned last week of a ‘looming hunger catastrophe’ in the East African country. Since the outbreak of the armed conflict between the Sudanese military and the RSF, all efforts to achieve a ceasefire have so far failed. ⁶

Sources: ¹Al Jazeera, ²Arab News, ³Middle East Eye, ⁴TRT World, ⁵Sudan Tribune and ⁶VOA.

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Al Bawaba. The RSF attacks on Wad Medani underline that it is the rebels commanded by Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo who continue to escalate the conflict while claiming to be fighting for the Sudanese people. The recent RSF attacks, which have forced thousands of refugees to flee again, undermine the ongoing US-led peace talks and the hope for a negotiated end to the senseless conflict. The RSF must stop its offensive immediately and return to the negotiating table. However difficult the talks between both parties may be, the US will not tire of standing up for the suffering people of Sudan.
• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by The New Arab. The Western-dominated international media landscape distorts reality when it unilaterally blames the RSF for the escalation of the terrible war in Sudan. The Sudanese army is also committing atrocities, while its leader and de facto head of state, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, repeatedly prevents a ceasefire and shows no ability to compromise. It is the Sudanese people who must pay the price for the deadlock and thirst for power of both sides. The international community must also put pressure on al-Burhan to restore hope for lasting peace in the country.
• Narrative C, as provided by Middle East Monitor. All too often, the war in Sudan — in which over 12K people have been killed — is portrayed as merely an internal conflict between two military rivals. However, as with many other international conflicts, there is a geopolitical component to this conflict that is being ignored. For example, the UAE is allegedly involved in shipping weapons to the RSF, and the Sudanese army also relies on weapons and money from abroad. It is also foreign interests that are preventing peace in the country and contributing to the suffering of the population.

Predictions