The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) announced their entry into Wad Madani, the capital of Al Jazirah state in central Sudan, on Monday. They took control of several locations in the city following clashes with the Sudanese Army that led hundreds of thousands to flee the area.
The RSF released video clips purporting to show their fighters taking over the headquarters of the First Civil Infantry Brigade, the Central Reserve Headquarters, and the eastern entrance to the Hantoub Bridge. They also claimed to have downed a warplane within the city.
Further video footage showed RSF fighters in small trucks patrolling the streets of the city (180 kilometers south of Khartoum) and on a bridge over the Blue Nile, where fighting with the Sudanese Army had occurred in the past few days.
Activists report that the RSF established checkpoints throughout Wad Madani, looting houses and vehicles in the absence of Army and police forces.
According to witnesses, RSF fighters also took control of areas around Wad Madani, including the town of Rufaa, located 40 kilometers north of the city.
The battles began around the city last Friday morning as RSF forces started moving towards the city. Reuters reported that the takeover of Wad Madani could represent a turning point in the RSF’s advance across Sudan’s western and central regions.
Meanwhile, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) stated on Monday that between 250,000 and 300,000 people have fled from Al Jazirah state since December 15, due to the clashes between the RSF and the Sudanese Army.
Before the recent fighting, Al Jazirah state hosted about half a million displaced persons from Khartoum and other areas, including approximately 85,000 in Wad Madani.
Fighting in Sudan over the last eight months has resulted in the death of more than 12,000 people, and the displacement of over 5.4 million individuals within the country, according to the United Nations. In addition, nearly 1.5 million others have fled to neighboring countries.
