In a move that observers considered a shift in the war in favor Rapid Support Forcesstrengthening his position in any future negotiations, and threatening to isolate the states of the East. The fighting that has been taking place in Sudan since mid-April took a new turn with the Rapid Support Forces entering the state of Al-Jazira (central), which has economic and agricultural weight and a strategic location linking the east, north and south.
Yesterday, Wednesday, the Rapid Support Forces entered the city of Hasahisa, the second largest city on the island, and thus these forces took control of the state.
The Hasahisa Resistance Committees (activists) said in a statement on Wednesday morning that the Rapid Support Forces entered the city of Hasahisa and seized control of the local police headquarters, explaining that the matter took place without clashes because there were no army and police forces.
The committees explained that the Rapid Support Forces are present in the city’s Grand Market and within a number of its neighbourhoods, especially the peripheral neighborhoods and the ginneries of the Al-Jazeera Project, which is the largest irrigated agricultural project on the continent of Africa, with an area of 2.2 million acres (850 square kilometers).
As the battles moved to the island, the scope of fighting expanded as the state joined 9 states witnessing ongoing clashes. They are: the capital, Khartoum, and the states of Darfur and Kordofan.
The Sudanese army is fighting under the leadership of the President of the Transitional Sovereignty Council Abdel Fattah Al-BurhanAnd the Rapid Support Forces led by Muhammad Hamdan Dagalo (My praise), a war that left more than 12,000 dead and more than 6 million displaced and refugees, according to the United Nations.
The fall of the island
Since December 15, the island has joined the war, in a development that the Sudanese did not expect. It is the state bordering Khartoum from the south, has a high population density, and was a destination for those displaced from the fighting in Khartoum.
The matter worsened when the Rapid Support Forces took control of the city of Wad Madani, the state capital, after battles with an army force that lasted about 4 days.
The next day, the army announced that its forces had withdrawn from the city the day before, and that it was conducting an investigation into the reasons and circumstances that led to the forces’ withdrawal from their positions.
Websites close to the military establishment reported that the army leadership decided to dismiss the commander of the First Division in Wad Madani, Major General Ahmed Al-Tayeb, refer him to investigation, and appoint Major General Rabie Abdullah as his successor. On the other hand, Hemedti assigned his commander in Al-Jazeera State, Abu Aqla Muhammad Ahmed Kikel, to lead the tasks of the First Division in Al-Jazeera State after his forces took control of it.
The army said in a statement, “An investigation is underway into the reasons and circumstances that led to the withdrawal of forces from their positions, like the rest of the military areas, and the results of the investigation will be submitted immediately upon completion to the competent authorities, and then the facts will be communicated to public opinion.”
With the Rapid Support’s control of Wad Madani, where the largest army garrison is located, the entire state is under its control, so it is easy for it to enter other cities with less population density. Because there are no large army forces there.
Indeed, the Rapid Support entered the cities of Rifa’a, Al-Junaid, and Al-Kamilin, without significant resistance, and finally the city of Al-Hasahisa yesterday, Wednesday.
About 5.9 million people live in Gezira State, which is the breadbasket of Sudan, including about 700,000 people in Wad Medani.
Fleeing fighting in other states, 500,000 people were displaced to the island. The international organization says that since the outbreak of fighting in Sudan, Wad Madani has become a center for humanitarian operations in the country, with 57 humanitarian organizations working in the state.
In the middle of this month, the United Nations announced the suspension of all humanitarian field missions inside the island. As a result of fighting between the army and the Rapid Support.
In the name of God, the most gracious, the most merciful
General Command of the Armed Forces
Tuesday, December 19, 2023 AD
Press circular
Yesterday, Monday, December 18, 2023, the forces of the First Division Headquarters withdrew from the city of Madani.
An investigation is underway into the reasons and circumstances that led to the withdrawal of forces from their positions, like the rest of the areas… pic.twitter.com/XCwXcTrFgl– Sudanese Armed Forces (@SudaneseAF) December 19, 2023
Displacement again
Since the middle of this month, thousands of residents and those displaced from Wad Madani have begun to leave for the cities of neighboring states, including: Kosti in the White Nile, Sennar in Sennar state, and Gedaref in Gedaref state.
Magdi Ahmed said, “My family and I went to the city of Sennar and from there to Gedaref State on a long and arduous journey that lasted 36 hours,” adding that the humanitarian situation is difficult, and along the way thousands of people are moving in search of safety, and if it were not for the assistance of the residents on the roads and villages that we pass through, with water. And eating, when we were able to reach the city of Gedaref, and this is the only thing that alleviated our tragedy.”
The day before yesterday, Tuesday, the International Organization for Migration said that since the conflict escalated in Wad Madani in the middle of this month, and within 3 days, between 250,000 and 300,000 have been displaced from the state.
The international organization added in a statement that many of those fleeing were forced to be displaced for the second or third time since the start of the conflict, and were forced to flee on foot. Due to the scarcity of transportation options available.
The organization stressed that it is not unlikely that many will continue their journeys to the city of Renk in Upper Nile State in South Sudan. In search of safety, leading to a potential rise in IDP flows into South Sudan.
The fighting extended
Fears are increasing that the battles will expand to other states, as only 8 states remain witnessing stability. They are: the White Nile (south), Sennar and the Blue Nile (southeast), the Northern and the Nile River (north), and Kassala, Gedaref, and the Red Sea (east).
Observers do not rule out that the fighting will spread to any of these states, in light of the political horizon being blocked for a peaceful solution to the crisis, despite the efforts of both the Jeddah Platform in Saudi Arabia and the East African Intergovernmental Authority (IGAD).
In this context, writer and political analyst Othman Fadlallah warned that the war may extend and destroy all of Sudan if there is no ceasefire.
Othman added, “IGAD’s efforts could bear fruit by bringing together the Chairman of the Sovereignty Council, Army Commander Abdel Fattah Burhan, and the Rapid Support Commander, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, and reaching a ceasefire.”
