Two injured as rebel fighters clash with Sudanese forces in Soba, Khartoum

Two people have reportedly been injured after an exchange of fire between a group of former rebel fighters and Sudanese joint forces, at the Rahaf residential complex in Soba, Khartoum, on Wednesday. The joint forces had arrived to eject the militants from the complex, which the Sudanese government says they were “occupying illegally”.

Media sources reported the arrest of seven militants were arrested, while others fled into the neighbourhoods of Soba.

In a statement via the official Sudan News Agency (SUNA), Sudan’s Ministry of the Interior explains that the Rahaf residential complex in Soba, is one of the social insurance projects of the Sudanese Police. According to the statement, the Sudan Police hosted peace delegations from several armed struggle movements at the complex in October 2020 for one month, “as a contribution to support the peace process”.

After the expiry of the hosting period, many members of the movements remained at the site, despite a statement issued by the head of the National Peace Commission that they it will not be responsible for their illegal stay, the Interior Ministry says.

According to the statement, “this illegal stay resulted in several damages in the complex as a result of misuse and deliberate sabotage, in addition to many legal violations”.

on Wednesday, a force of the joint forces, led by the Director of the Khartoum Locality Police and under the supervision of the Director of the Emergency and Operations Department of Khartoum State Police, moved to evict the occupants from the complex, but on arrival “the force came under heavy fire from inside the compound”.

The official police statement via SUNA says that “the joint force was then able to control the situation and to clear the site from the aggressors after exchanging fire with them”. It asserts that two members of the armed movements were injured and received treatment, while the joint force is still stationed at the site to secure it.

Highway closed

The authorities closed the Khartoum-Wad Madani highway to vehicles following the events, and directed the vehicles to other roads, amid a state of panic and terror among the residents of the area.

Mohamed Mousa Badi, Secretary of Tamazuj Movement Media, confirmed the residence of some of the movement’s employees in the Rahaf residential complex, in coordination with the Peace Commission and its flag. He explained that the authorities did not provide them with alternative housing.

[Note: This piece was updasted to reflect the correction that two people were injured, not killed.]