Sudan war: Minawi forces clash with RSF in Omdurman

Fierce fighting took place west of the Wad El Bashir fly-over in central Omdurman in the past days, where the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) ambushed combatants of the Sudan Liberation Movement faction under the leadership of Minni Minawi (SLM-MM). There are conflicting reports about who gained control over the strategically important fly-over.

The RSF announced their control of the fly-over, better known as the Wad El Bashir Bridge, at dawn yesterday. The bridge is of strategic importance, as it connects old Omdurman with Ombadda and the Libya Market, and from there it leads to the road to Bara in North Kordofan.

The Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) denied the validity of the RSF claims. Lt Gen Shamseldin Kabbashi, the second deputy commander-in-chief of the SAF, described the claims “sheer lies” in his address to new SLM-MM graduates in eastern Sudanese El Gedaref yesterday. 

On Tuesday, RSF troops ambushed SLM fighters in the area west of the bridge, journalist Saleh Abdallah told Radio Dabanga yesterday. The clashes led to the killing and wounding of dozens of men from both sides that day and yesterday.

“The fighting extended to the Wad El Bashir Bridge,” Abdallah said, but could not confirm who had control over the area. “The people in the neighbourhood do not know how to leave the area safely because of the conflicting information. Both sides claim control over the area. Those who can flee are moving to Karari in the north.”

On Sunday, Minawi announced that his fighters would fight alongside the army against the RSF in Khartoum and El Gezira.

There are reports about the advance of the SAF in more areas in Omdurman that were under control of the RSF since the beginning of the war nearly a year ago.

The army which began a ground offensive in Omdurman in the end of last year, succeeded in retaking control of the old and northern neighbourhoods of Omdurman earlier this month.

The journalist further reported that SAF soldiers and SLM fighters were deployed along the El Doha neighbourhood, south of Wad El Bashir and adjacent to the El Hilal Stadium. The army soldiers combed the area.

Footage of the fighting posted on social media show violent battles taking place between RSF and SAF soldiers in the areas near the Libya Market, Ombadda El Mansoura, and also in the El Doha neighbourhood.

Abdallah explained that teams of the Corps of Engineers are removing the mines planted by the army in the El Shaabi Market and part of the main streets in the area to limit the movements of the RSF.
“We saw some merchants visiting their stores at the Shaabi Market in preparation to start their sales again.”

In Khartoum North (Khartoum Bahri), RSF-SAF battles continued on Tuesday and yesterday in the area near El Kadaro and on the road to the El Jeili Oil Refinery north of the city, which is controlled by the RSF.

Air raids

The SAF on Tuesday called on people in various parts of the country “to stay away from the areas of RSF gatherings, which are considered legitimate military targets for our air force”.

Airstrikes were reported from Mellit in North Darfur early yesterday morning. The director of Mellit locality, Siddig Reefa, told Radio Dabanga that the aerial bombardments, the first of its kind in the area, did not cause any civilian casualties.

The garrison of Kabkabiya and neighbouring farms that were occupied by RSF troops, were bombed by the Sudanese Air Force last week. “The RSF soldiers than fled the area and moved to Loh and Ed El Nabag, located on the road between Kabkabiya and the state capital El Fasher,” a source told Radio Dabanga from Kabkabiya.

She said that the airstrikes caused “a lot of panic” among the people and explained that “the RSF elements that were stationed at the farms were plundering homes and shops as they liked”.

Radio Dabanga reported on Monday that nine civilians were killed, and 14 others were injured, including children, in an air raid on El Fasher in the early morning, the second attack by the Sudanese Air Force on the city within 24 hours. Kutum town was also bombed.

Last week, the army launched airstrikes on Kabkabiya and El Zurug. The RSF reported that the bombardments led to civilian casualties.