Renewed fears of RSF offensive in West Kordofan 

Babanousa, West Kordofan, is experiencing a cautious calm despite renewed fears and rumours of a possible Rapid Support Forces (RSF) attack, a resident told Radio Dabanga yesterday.

Although goods continue to arrive from the south, the flow of goods from the north has stopped, and communication networks are frequently interrupted. Most wholesale shops remain closed, while retail shops are operating normally. 

The Babanousa resident told Radio Dabanga that conditions were good and life had begun to return to normal after air strikes targeted the 22nd Infantry Division quarters on November 30. The attack violated a tripartite truce signed by the warring parties and native administration* leaders in Babanousa, which came into effect on November 29. One division member sustained light injuries from the bombing, with no other casualties reported.

According to the resident, rumours began to spread that the RSF intended to strike the town yesterday. This led to a “state of fear and terror.” She stressed that these are the same signs as before, which confirms that there is no safe place in Sudan. “People are tired of wars that leave us in constant fear,” she said.

* The Native Administration was instituted by British colonial authorities seeking a pragmatic system of governance that allowed for effective control with limited oversight by the state. The state-appointed tribal leaders were also responsible for executing policies, collecting taxes, and mobilising labour on behalf of the central government. According to the Darfur Bar Association (DBA), the Native Administration during the 30-year rule of dictator Omar Al Bashir did not represent the real community leaders.