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Sudanese army repels RSF assault in Khartoum as Babanusa confrontations escalate

Supporters of the Sudanese armed popular resistance, which backs the army, ride on trucks in Gedaref in eastern Sudan on March 3, 2024. (Photo: AFP)

By Foreign Reporter | 17 Mar 2024

The RSF launched a fresh attack in Babanusa aimed at seizing control of the city's 22nd Infantry Division headquarters, leading to a fierce military standoff.

On Saturday, clashes erupted between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on two fronts, with the army repelling an attack in Khartoum and facing intensified fighting in Babanusa, West Kordofan State, Sudan Tribune reported.

In Khartoum Bahri, the army responded to a major RSF attack on the Signal Corps, resulting in heavy losses for the RSF, including destroyed vehicles and numerous casualties, as reported by military sources.

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Colonel Ibrahim al-Houri, a former military newspaper editor, confirmed the army's mobilisation to counter the RSF attack via a Facebook post.

Videos circulated on social media pages loyal to the army showcased captured RSF vehicles and the bodies of its fighters, although the RSF has yet to comment on the Khartoum battle.

Meanwhile, in Babanusa, brutal clashes persisted as the RSF launched a fresh attack aimed at seizing control of the city's 22nd Infantry Division headquarters, leading to a fierce military standoff.

Military sources revealed escalated violence on Saturday, with heavy weaponry utilised by both sides. Civilian casualties were reported with airstrikes targeting RSF positions within Babanusa.

A member of the Babanusa Emergency Room recounted a tragic incident, alleging that RSF forces killed three family members attempting to flee the city on the Al-Kalait road.

Additionally, the source accused the RSF of widespread human rights violations, including arbitrary arrests, killings, looting, and the deployment of snipers in civilian areas.

Since January 22, 2024, the RSF's offensive against the army's 22nd Infantry Division has resulted in the displacement of over 50,000 civilians, representing approximately 95 per cent of Babanusa's population.

These displaced individuals now confront dire humanitarian conditions in surrounding villages and towns, with government warnings of imminent famine.