Darfur campaign

Last updated

Darfur campaign
Part of War in Sudan (2023)
War in Sudan (2023).svg

Situation in Darfur as of March 2024
Date15 April 2023 – present
(1 year, 1 month, 3 weeks and 5 days)
Location
Darfur (North Darfur, South Darfur, West Darfur, Central Darfur and East Darfur)
Status

Ongoing

Belligerents
Emblem of the Rapid Support Forces.png Rapid Support Forces
Supported by:
Flag of The Libyan National Army (Variant).svg Libyan National Army [lower-alpha 1]
Wagner Group [lower-alpha 2] (alleged, denied by RSF and Wagner) [9] [10]

Insignia of the Sudanese Armed Forces.svg Sudanese Armed Forces

Commanders and leaders
Gibril Ibrahim (JEM) [12]
Minni Minnawi (SLA-MM) [12]
al-Tahir Hajar (GSLF) [12]
Casualties and losses
10,000+ killed [13]

The Darfur campaign or Darfur offensive is a theatre of operation in the war in Sudan that affects five states in Darfur: South Darfur, East Darfur, North Darfur, Central Darfur and West Darfur. [14] [15] The offensive mainly started on 15 April 2023 in West Darfur where the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) forces captured Geneina, the conflict came after several days of high tensions between the forces and the government. [16]

Contents

The Battle of Geneina and the Battle of Nyala were the largest battles of the campaign, which all in total killed hundreds of civilians and both ended up with a RSF victory between 20 April to 2 May 2023. [17]

Overview of war

In the early hours of the morning of 15 April 2023, soldiers loyal to the Rapid Support Forces started a series of assaults on key buildings in Khartoum, primarily the Khartoum International Airport. While the international airport was captured by the RSF, street battles continued throughout Khartoum and the neighboring cities of Omdurman and Bahri. [18] [19] The RSF also captured the presidential palace, the residence of the former Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir, and attacked a military base. [20] [21] Users on Facebook Live and Twitter documented the Sudanese Air Force flying above the city, and striking the RSF targets. [22]

Origin in Darfur

The history of conflicts in Sudan has consisted of foreign invasions and resistance, ethnic tensions, religious disputes, and competition over resources. [23] [24] In its modern history, two civil wars between the central government and the southern regions killed 1.5 million people, and a continuing conflict in the western region of Darfur has displaced two million people and killed more than 200,000 people. [25] Since independence in 1956, Sudan has had more than fifteen military coups [26] and it has also been ruled by the military for the majority of the republic's existence, with only brief periods of democratic civilian parliamentary rule. [27]

Former president and military strongman Omar al-Bashir presided over the War in Darfur, a region in the west of the country, and oversaw state-sponsored violence in the region of Darfur, leading to charges of war crimes and genocide. [28] Approximately 300,000 people were killed and 2.7 million forcibly displaced in the early part of the Darfur conflict; the intensity of the violence later declined. [29] Key figures in the Darfur conflict included Mohamed Hamdan "Hemedti" Dagalo, a warlord [30] who commanded the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) which evolved from the janjaweed, a collection of Arab militias drawn from camel-trading tribes active in Darfur and portions of Chad. [31]

Campaign

On 15 April 2023, Geneina, the capital of West Darfur, was largely captured and occupied by RSF forces, with little resistance, except at Geneina Airport. [32] The occupation of the city lasted until 25 April 2023, when a battle for the city resumed and was reportedly 'deadly'. By the end of the battle, over 200 people had been confirmed to be killed, with the number estimated to be much higher between soldiers and civilians. [33] On 2 May, Geneina was mostly captured by RSF, while the group also kept advancing in several other areas of the province. [34]

The RSF quickly began to enlist Darfur's Arab tribes to expand its ranks and gain the upper hand in the area. Together, the RSF and its allies quickly overran large parts and Darfur, and began to expel or outright massacre non-Arabs. According to security analyst Andrew McGregor, the RSF operations in Darfur appeared to aim at "ethnically cleans[ing] the region of its indigenous Black population". [12] In response, several non-Arab militias and ex-rebel groups in Darfur allied with the SAF to defend their holdings. Five major armed groups formed the Darfur Joint Protection Force; the alliance included the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) under Gibril Ibrahim, the Sudan Liberation Army faction (SLA-MM) of Darfur Governor Minni Minawi, and the Gathering of Sudan Liberation Forces under al-Tahir Hajar. However, the cooperation between the SAF and the Joint Protection Force remained difficult, as both sides distrusted each other. Several member groups of the Joint Protection Force experienced internal divisions over the alliance with the SAF, with some factions leaving their respective groups to stay neutral or even side with the RSF. [12]

On 26 October, the RSF captured Nyala, Sudan's second-largest city and South Darfur's capital, after a long siege. As the city had served as a major military center, this was a major victory for the RSF. Soon after, the RSF also overran Zalingei, capital of Central Darfur, after the local SAF garrison had fled. The center of West Darfur, Geneina, was fully conquered by the RSF on 4 November. In course of and after the battle for Geneina, the RSF and its allies subsequently massacred many civilians. The fall of Geneina caused many SAF garrisons in Darfur to also abandon their posts and desert or flee to Chad. Meanwhile, the RSF and its allies laid siege to al-Fashir, the capital of the entire Darfur region. At al-Fashir, the SAF-Joint Protection Force garrison received support by another rebel group, the Sudan Liberation Army's al-Nur faction (SLA-AW). [12]

By mid-December 2023, McGregor assessed that the RSF was nearing victory in the conflict over Darfur, controlling four of the region's five states. Al-Fashir still remained under control of the Joint Protection Force, but it was no longer receiving supplies from the SAF-held areas in central Sudan, causing food, fuel, and medicines shortages. Meanwhile, SAF control was also collapsing in other parts of Sudan, making any additional support for the Darfuri holdouts more unlikely. [12]

By May 2024, al-Fashir had become the last stronghold of the Sudanese government in Darfur. The city remained besieged by the RSF which had begun to launch raids into the settlement. [35]

Foreign role in the campaign

It has been alleged that the RSF has received foreign support in Darfur, most notably at the hands of the United Arab Emirates and the Wagner Group. Darfur Governor Minni Minawi also accused the Chadian government of allowing the passage of arms and mercenaries to the RSF. Conversely, Chadian officers of Zaghawa ethnicity allegedly aid the Darfur Joint Protection Force, as several of its member groups are recruited from Sudanese Zaghawa. [12]

Notes

  1. ↑ [3] [4]
  2. ↑ Wagner Group, self described as a private military company, is widely considered to be the de facto private army of the Russian government. [5] [6] Wagner Group section [7] [8] [9]

Related Research Articles

The Janjaweed are an Arab nomad militia group from the Sahel region that operates in Sudan, particularly in Darfur, and eastern Chad. They have also been speculated to be active in Yemen. According to the United Nations definition, Janjaweed membership consists of Arab nomad tribes from the Sahel, the core of whom are from the Abbala Arabs, traditionally employed in camel herding, with significant recruitment from the Baggara.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geneina</span> City in West Darfur, Sudan

Geneina is a city in West Darfur, part of the dar Masalit region, in Sudan. It joined British Sudan at the end of 1919 through the Gilani Agreement, signed between the Masalit Sultanate and the United Kingdom, according to which it became a territory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rapid Support Forces</span> Sudanese paramilitary force formed in 2013

The Rapid Support Forces is a paramilitary force formerly operated by the Government of Sudan. The RSF grew out of, and is primarily composed of, the Janjaweed militias which previously fought on behalf of the Sudanese government. Its actions in Darfur qualify as crimes against humanity in the opinion of Human Rights Watch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hemedti</span> Sudanese military officer, former warlord and Janjaweed mercenary

Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, generally referred to mononymously as Hemedti, Hemetti, Hemeti, or Hemitte, is a Janjaweed leader from the Rizeigat tribe in Darfur, who was the Deputy head of the Transitional Military Council (TMC) following the 2019 Sudanese coup d'état. Since 2013, Hemetti has commanded the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). He was considered by The Economist to be the most powerful person in Sudan as of early July 2019.

The following lists events during 2023 in the Republic of the Sudan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sudanese civil war (2023–present)</span> Ongoing military conflict in Sudan since 2023

A civil war between two rival factions of the military government of Sudan, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) under Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) under the Janjaweed leader, Hemedti, began during Ramadan on 15 April 2023. Fighting has been concentrated around the capital city of Khartoum and the Darfur region. As of 21 January 2024, at least 13,000–15,000 people had been killed and 33,000 others were injured. As of 3 June 2024, over 7.1 million were internally displaced and more than two million others had fled the country as refugees, and many civilians in Darfur have been reported dead as part of the Masalit massacres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Khartoum (2023–present)</span> Ongoing major battle of the Sudanese civil war

The battle of Khartoum is an ongoing major battle for control of Khartoum, the capital city of Sudan, with fighting in and around the city between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), and the Sudanese Armed Forces. The battle began on 15 April 2023, after the RSF captured Khartoum International Airport, several military bases, and the presidential palace, starting an escalating series of clashes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Geneina</span> Battle of the Darfur campaign of the 2023 Sudan conflict

The Battle of Geneina, also known as the Geneina massacre, was a major battle for control of Geneina, the capital of West Darfur in Sudan, between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). By 25 April 2023, fighting intensified and devolved along tribal lines, with Masalit and non-Arab peoples supporting the SAF and the aligned Joint Darfur Force—consisting of former rebel groups including the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army and the Justice and Equality Movement—against the RSF and allied Arab militias.

The following is a timeline of the Sudanese civil war (2023–present) in 2023.

The Battle of Nyala was a battle for control of Nyala, the capital of South Darfur in Sudan, between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), and the Sudanese Armed Forces during the ongoing Darfur campaign. The first battle occurred between 15 and 20 April 2023, during which hundreds were reported dead. A civilian-brokered ceasefire paused the fighting by April 20. Sporadic clashes broke out between May and July. In August 2023, the RSF launched an offensive on the city. The SAF launched air campaigns against the RSF in Nyala, with many civilian casualties in Taiba and El Matar. In late September, the RSF besieged the headquarters the SAF's 16th Infantry Division headquarters, capturing it on October 26.

The humanitarian crisis following the 2023 Sudan conflict was further exacerbated by the violence occurring during a period of high temperatures, drought and the conflict starting during the latter part of the fasting month of Ramadan. Most residents were unable to venture outside of their homes to obtain food and supplies for fear of getting caught in the crossfire. A doctors' group said that hospitals remained understaffed and were running low on supplies as wounded people streamed in. The World Health Organization recorded around 26 attacks on healthcare facilities, some of which resulted in casualties among medical workers and civilians. The Sudanese Doctors' Union said more than two-thirds of hospitals in conflict areas were out of service with 32 forcibly evacuated by soldiers or caught in the crossfire. The United Nations reported that shortages of basic goods, such as food, water, medicines and fuel have become "extremely acute". The delivery of badly-needed remittances from overseas migrant workers was also halted after Western Union announced it was closing all operations in Sudan until further notice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of El Fasher</span> Battle during the 2023 Sudan conflict

The Battle of El Fasher is an ongoing battle for control of the town of El Fasher in North Darfur during the Sudan conflict. The first battle for the city took place between 15 and 20 April 2023, and resulted in a ceasefire that held until 12 May. Clashes broke out again between 12 and 29 May, and ended with a more stable ceasefire that lasted until August. By September, the city had become a haven for refugees across the region, without enough food and water.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Treaty of Jeddah (2023)</span> 2023 two-week long treaty for peace in Sudan

The Treaty of Jeddah or Jeddah Declaration is an international agreement that was made to make peace in Sudan. The Treaty of Jeddah, which was signed by the United States, Saudi Arabia, and Sudan and representatives of both warring sides on 20 May 2023, entered into force 48 hours later on 22 May 2023. The agreement was intended to facilitate a week-long ceasefire and the distribution of humanitarian aid within the country. The agreement expired suddenly after a surge of clashes on 23 May 2023, a day after the agreement came into effect. With the actual date of expiry being 27 May 2023, the nations agreed on an extension for five days but was shortened due to the agreement's ineffectiveness.

The Battle of Kutum was a conflict during the War in Sudan which occurred in and around the town of Kutum in North Darfur. The Rapid Support Forces quickly overran the city, and carried out massacres in the city and the neighboring Kassab IDP camp. The group then attacked neighboring villages in early June.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">War crimes during the Sudanese civil war (2023–present)</span>

The civil war in Sudan, which started on 15 April 2023, has seen a widespread of war crimes committed by both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), with the RSF being singled out by the Human Rights Watch, and the United Kingdom and United States governments for committing ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.

The following lists events during 2024 in the Republic of the Sudan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Popular Resistance of Sudan</span> Armed factions in Sudan (2023–present)

The Popular Resistance, also known as the Popular mobilisation, is a conglomerate of armed factions in Sudan that was formed in response to the ongoing conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). This conflict, rooted in a power struggle within the country's military structure, erupted into full-scale war on 15 April 2023.

The following is a timeline of the Sudanese civil war (2023–present) in 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wad An Nora massacre</span> 2024 massacre of villagers by the Rapid Support Forces

The Wad Al-Noora massacre started at around 05:00 (GMT+2) on 5 June 2024, when the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) attacked the village of Wad Al-Noora in Al-Jazira state twice, killing at least 100 civilians. The massacre followed after the RSF sieged and opened fire on the village.

References

  1. ↑ "Darfur update: El Geneina clashes continue, truce holds in el Fasher, looting in Nyala". 2 May 2023.
  2. ↑ Sudan, Tribune (23 September 2023). "SLM-Nur expands control to several areas in Darfur to protect civilians".[ permanent dead link ]
  3. ↑ Faucon, Benoit; Said, Summer; Malsin, Jared (19 April 2023). "Libyan Militia and Egypt's Military Back Opposite Sides in Sudan Conflict". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 19 April 2023. Retrieved 19 April 2023. "Mr. Haftar, who is backed by Russia and the United Arab Emirates, sent at least one shipment of ammunition on Monday (17 April) from Libya to Sudan to replenish supplies for Gen. Dagalo," the people familiar with the matter said.
  4. ↑ "Sudan's army chief says Haftar denies supporting RSF; no confirmation on Wagner Group's involvement". Al-Ahram . 22 April 2023.
  5. ↑ Faulkner, Christopher (June 2022). Cruickshank, Paul; Hummel, Kristina (eds.). "Undermining Democracy and Exploiting Clients: The Wagner Group's Nefarious Activities in Africa" (PDF). CTC Sentinel . 15 (6). West Point, New York: Combating Terrorism Center: 28–37. Archived (PDF) from the original on 19 July 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  6. ↑ "What is the Wagner Group, Russia's mercenary organisation?". The Economist. ISSN   0013-0613. Archived from the original on 2 February 2023. Retrieved 16 March 2022. "From a legal perspective, Wagner doesn't exist," says Sorcha MacLeod
  7. ↑ Elbagir, Nima; Mezzofiore, Gianluca; Qiblawi, Tamara (20 April 2023). "Exclusive: Evidence emerges of Russia's Wagner arming militia leader battling Sudan's army". CNN. Archived from the original on 20 April 2023. Retrieved 20 April 2023. The Russian mercenary group Wagner has been supplying Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) with missiles to aid their fight against the country's army, Sudanese and regional diplomatic sources have told CNN. The sources said the surface-to-air missiles have significantly buttressed RSF paramilitary fighters and their leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo
  8. ↑ Schmitt, Eric; Wong, Edward (23 April 2023). "United States Says Wagner Has Quietly Picked Sides in Sudan". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 24 April 2023. Retrieved 25 April 2023. Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of the notorious private military company Wagner, has offered weapons to the paramilitaries fighting for control of Sudan, according to American officials.
  9. 1 2 "Wagner in Sudan: What have Russian mercenaries been up to?". BBC News. 24 April 2023. Archived from the original on 30 April 2023. Retrieved 2 May 2023. Its founder, Yevgeny Prighozin – who has close links to President Vladimir Putin – has said that "not a single Wagner PMC [private military company] fighter has been present in Sudan" for over two years. We've found no evidence that Russian mercenaries are currently inside the country. But there is evidence of Wagner's previous activities in Sudan...
  10. ↑ "Sudan's Rapid Support Force denies links to Wagner group". Military Africa. 22 April 2023. Archived from the original on 28 April 2023. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  11. ↑ SudanTribune (24 May 2023). "Rapid Support Forces ambush peace groups in West Darfur". Sudan Tribune. Retrieved 24 May 2023.[ permanent dead link ]
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 McGregor 2023.
  13. ↑ "10,000 reported killed in one West Darfur city, as ethnic violence ravages Sudanese region". CNN. 26 July 2023. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  14. ↑ "Mass exodus from Sudan as deadly fighting enters third week". France 24. 30 April 2023. Archived from the original on 1 May 2023. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  15. ↑ Peltier, Elian (29 April 2023). "Sudan's Conflict Ignites Fears of Civil War in Darfur". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2 May 2023. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  16. ↑ Bergman, Andrew (17 April 2023). "Deadly Sudan Army-RSF clashes spark human tragedy, widespread looting in Darfur". Dabanga Radio TV Online. Archived from the original on 26 April 2023. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  17. ↑ "Bloodshed in Sudan's Darfur as Hemeti's allies and enemies vie for control". Middle East Eye. Archived from the original on 2 May 2023. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  18. ↑ "Sudan unrest: RSF captures presidential palace as violence rages". www.geo.tv. Archived from the original on 16 April 2023. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  19. ↑ "Saudi airline says plane came under fire at Khartoum International Airport". Reuters. 15 April 2023. Archived from the original on 16 April 2023. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
  20. ↑ "Sudan: Paramilitary group says it controls palace, Khartoum airport". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 15 April 2023. Archived from the original on 16 April 2023. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
  21. ↑ "Sudan's RSF say it seized presidential palace, Khartoum airport in apparent coup bid". Al Arabiya English. 15 April 2023. Archived from the original on 16 April 2023. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
  22. ↑ "Fighting between Sudan military rivals enters a second day, with dozens dead". CNN. 15 April 2023. Archived from the original on 15 April 2023. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
  23. ↑ Sawant, Ankush B. (1998). "Ethnic Conflict in Sudan in Historical Perspective". International Studies. 35 (3): 343–363. doi:10.1177/0020881798035003006. ISSN   0020-8817. S2CID   154750436. Archived from the original on 16 April 2023. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  24. ↑ Fluehr-Lobban, Carolyn (1990). "Islamization in Sudan: A Critical Assessment". Middle East Journal. 44 (4): 610–623. ISSN   0026-3141. JSTOR   4328193. Archived from the original on 27 February 2023. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
  25. ↑ "Sudan: The basics". BBC News . 17 April 2023. Archived from the original on 15 April 2023. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  26. ↑ Fabricius, Peter (31 July 2020). "Sudan, a coup laboratory". Institute for Security Studies . Archived from the original on 17 April 2023. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  27. ↑ Biajo, Nabeel (22 October 2022). "Military Rule No Longer Viable in Sudan: Analyst". VOA Africa . Archived from the original on 17 April 2023. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  28. ↑ Abdelaziz, Khalid; Eltahir, Nafisa; Eltahir, Nafisa (15 April 2023). MacSwan, Angus (ed.). "Sudan's army chief, paramilitary head ready to de-escalate tensions, mediators say" . Reuters. Archived from the original on 15 April 2023. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
  29. ↑ Samy Magdy & Joseph Krauss, Sudanese general's path to power ran through Darfur Archived 26 April 2023 at the Wayback Machine , Associated Press (May 20, 2019).
  30. ↑ Fulton, Adam; Holmes, Oliver (25 April 2023). "Sudan conflict: why is there fighting and what is at stake in the region?". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077. Archived from the original on 3 May 2023. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
  31. ↑ Who is 'Hemedti', general behind Sudan's feared RSF force? Archived 27 April 2023 at the Wayback Machine , Al Jazeera (April 16, 2023).
  32. ↑ Badshah, Nadeem; Abdul, Geneva; Mackay, Hamish; Badshah (now), Nadeem; Mackay (earlier), Hamish (15 April 2023). "Sudanese air force urges people to stay indoors as doctors union says at least 25 dead – as it happened". the Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077. Archived from the original on 18 April 2023. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  33. ↑ "RSF soldier in front of police HQ in Sudan's West Darfur". BBC News. Archived from the original on 29 April 2023. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  34. ↑ Nashed, Mat. "Shifting alliances in Sudan's Darfur as new civil war fears rise". www.aljazeera.com. Archived from the original on 30 April 2023. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  35. ↑ "At least 47 killed in Sudan army's last Darfur stronghold el-Fasher". al-Jazeera. 22 April 2023. Retrieved 26 May 2024.

Works cited

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.