Sudan: As the RSF invades El-Gezira, hundreds of people escape in fear
The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has launched an assault on el-Gezira state, marking its first incursion into central Sudan and creating a new front in the ongoing Sudanese conflict.
Following significant victories in Khartoum, Darfur, and parts of Kordofan, the RSF has now penetrated areas firmly held by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) since the conflict erupted in April. These areas are home to hundreds of thousands of Sudanese displaced by the ongoing fighting. Reports indicate that RSF fighters are amassing outside el-Fasher, the state capital of North Darfur in the west, and Babanosa city in West Kordofan state to the south.
The capital of the el-Gezira state, Wad Madani, faced attacks from various directions on Friday and Saturday, with RSF fighters arriving in hundreds of weapons-mounted vehicles. In response, Sudanese army warplanes and drones conducted intensive air strikes to counter the RSF offensive.
Eyewitnesses in Wad Madani and villages across el-Gezira have reported ongoing intense clashes and air strikes in the city and other parts of the state, according to Middle East Eye. The attack has instilled panic among el-Gezira's residents and displaced individuals, the majority of whom fled the conflicts in Khartoum, located approximately 150km north of Wad Madani.
El-Gezira, home to nearly six million people, accommodates 500,000 individuals displaced by the Khartoum fighting. Positioned between the White and Blue Niles, the state serves as Sudan's breadbasket, intensifying pressure on the country's food security. In response to the attack, the United Nations, along with various local and international aid organizations, has evacuated Wad Madani and suspended their operations in the state, as confirmed by the UN to MEE.
In el-Gezira villages, Sudanese residents recounted waking up to explosions and heavy gunfire on Friday morning, as Rapid Support Forces (RSF) fighters surged into the state from Khartoum, approaching from multiple directions, according to witnesses speaking to Middle East Eye. Along the Khartoum-el-Gezira road, villagers were observed fleeing as Sudanese troops engaged in gunfire with paramilitary fighters. Wad Madani, the state capital, faced attacks from three sides, with RSF forces advancing from Khartoum in the north and west, as well as eastern routes through al-Butana.
Residents reported that hundreds of vehicles entered villages such as al-Hilaliya, located 30km from Wad Madani, along with neighboring settlements, intimidating residents with intense gunfire. Hassan Ali stated that the influx included thousands of fighters and resulted in injuries to several civilians. In al-Junaid, al-Kamleen, al-Hasahisa, and other villages along the Khartoum-Wad Madani road, witnesses noted RSF vehicles charging through the state without any apparent resistance or presence of Sudanese army forces.
While on the ground, residents did not observe Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) soldiers, they reported witnessing air strikes by the air forces near Madani, aimed at defending the city, according to Ahmed Mohamed's account to MEE. In Hantoob, a village on the outskirts of Wad Madani, another witness reported ongoing bloody clashes in and around Hantoob Bridge, where RSF fighters are striving to cross the Blue Nile to reach the city. Sudanese army troops are stationed on the bridge and have established multiple checkpoints in its vicinity.
Hantoob resident Hassan Omar described wide and intense clashes for control of the Hantoob and Abu Haraz bridges leading to Madani. He mentioned the deployment of SAF forces near the Hantoob Bridge, supported by air forces attempting to repel the RSF, which attacks in successive waves of vehicles and intense gunfire. The witness noted that the bodies of soldiers from both sides were scattered in the area.
Ahmed Salih, reporting from Wad Madani, conveyed a city gripped by fear and inundated with people from surrounding areas who have fled the assault. He highlighted that the majority of clashes are concentrated in and around Abu Haraz and Hantoob on the outskirts of Madani. Additionally, bombs have been observed falling on Nile Street in the city center. Salih stated that SAF has begun deploying forces around the city and evacuating residents from neighborhoods such as al-Dibagag, Maya, Banat, and others.
The local resistance committee, affiliated with a network of pro-democracy activists, disclosed that thousands are fleeing the city, which has a population of about 700,000 people. The Sudanese military has reportedly closed all bridges across the Blue Nile.
