Sudan army and RSF fighting for Sennar, WFP concerned about aid routes

The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), fighting against the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) since mid-April last year, yesterday morning launched multiple attacks on the town of Sennar and the neighbouring area of Maiurno in southeast Sudan. The UN World Food Programme (WFP) yesterday expressed its concerns that increased fighting in Sennar could sever key routes for humanitarian aid from Port Sudan.

The SAF reported on its Facebook page yesterday that its soldiers were able to repel RSF attacks on Sennar town this morning and stated out that the paramilitaries suffered heavy losses in personnel and equipment.

The SAF also claimed that it seized large numbers of RSF combat vehicles and armoured personnel carriers near El Managil in El Gezira, noting that the RSF suffered heavy losses in personnel.

The El Baraa Bin Malik Brigade, one of the Islamist groups fighting alongside the army, reported the killing of Hudheifa Adam, its commander of the brigade’s southern sector (Sennar and Blue Nile states), in the battles that took place yesterday in the area of Mairuno (Mayerno), south of Sennar. Gusay Bushra, its commander in Sennar state, also died.

The Sennar Youth Association yesterday reported on its Facebook page a “relative calm” in the vicinity of Maiurno and the area west of Sennar town after the army had repelled the RSF. In a statement yesterday morning, they reported fighting in Maiurno and in El Bir, less than 10 kilometres west of Sennar town.

The group also reported heavy shelling in the area between Jebel Moya and Kubri El Arab. “The sounds were clearly audible inside Sennar.”

The Sudan War Monitor (SWM) said this morning that despite the army claims “videos from Maiuorno suggest that some SAF positions were overrun, while elsewhere, the RSF broke through a line of defensive earthworks in farmland outside the city. [..]

 “Currently the situation around Sennar is fluid and the precise battle lines are unclear. Nevertheless, the bigger picture is clearer: the RSF are advancing on Sennar from the north, west, and south, and southeast. The city is close to being surrounded and clashes could begin within the city at any time.

“Although there are some back roads that may still be open toward Gedaref, RSF’s seizure of Dinder, a smaller city 60 km southeast of Sennar city, and advances along the Dinder River, have made it difficult for SAF troops in Gedaref or Fau to reinforce the defenders in Sennar.

“Furthermore, fears an RSF invasion have gripped Gedaref State, discouraging SAF commanders there from dispatching more men toward Sennar to reinforce the city. An alleged RSF drone was shot down in Gedaref near the state headquarters building yesterday, stoking the already widespread fears.”

The RSF took control of the Sennar state capital of Singa in a ‘Blitzkrieg’ on June 29 and continued towards El Souki and El Dinder in Sennar, Karkoj, and El Mazmoum in El Gedaref, as well as the Doba Bridge connecting Sennar with El Fao. The SAF reportedly retook the areas of El Dinder and the Doba Bridge on Wednesday, and the RSF withdrew from El Souki and Karkoj.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Sudan in its flash update of July 4 cited the IOM Displacement Tracking Matrix stating that an estimated 136,000 people were displaced from various locations in Sennar following the RSF-SAF clashes in the state.

The Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA) Network earlier this week reported a surge in rape cases in Sennar and Singa. A large number people has gone missing.

Drones

Military sources reported separately that the offices of the El Gedaref government secretariat were targeted by two drones yesterday but did not elaborate.

It was not the first time that government or security buildings in El Gedaref state were targeted by drones.

Drones have reportedly begun to threaten so-called safe states in Sudan not under control of the RSF. The weapons have been used by both sides during the conflict. It is known that the SAF have Iranian-made Mohajer-6 drones in their arsenal, however the source of drones used by the RSF is unclear. 

Food aid in danger

The UN food agency yesterday expressed its concerns “that increased fighting in the East could sever key routes for humanitarian assistance from Port Sudan and impact our ability to provide consistent assistance to refugees and vulnerable communities.

“With a risk of famine taking hold in parts of Sudan, it is imperative to sustain the delivery of life-saving aid across conflict lines and across borders,” the WFP stated.