Sudan: RSF, Joint Force clash in North Darfur, both sides claim victory

Sudan:The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) reported on Tuesday that they had successfully destroyed a significant convoy of armed movements, inflicting heavy casualties on their opponents.

However, the Joint Force, a coalition of army-aligned groups opposing the RSF, countered these claims, asserting that they had decisively routed the RSF, forcing them into retreat.

The clash near Malha represents a critical moment in the ongoing struggle for control over El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, which has been under siege by the RSF since April. As the Joint Force mobilizes fighters from various regions—including reinforcements from Libya—tensions have escalated dramatically.

The RSF announced in a statement that its forces had “crushed a mobile force consisting of hundreds of combat vehicles,” claiming to have killed over 450 fighters and captured more than 137 vehicles in the confrontation. However, a commander from the Joint Force dismissed these assertions, telling Sudan Tribune that they had “inflicted an unprecedented defeat on the RSF,” destroying numerous vehicles and capturing “tens of soldiers.”

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According to the Joint Force commander, the RSF has been forced to retreat toward Mellit, while their convoy continues its advance toward El Fasher, highlighting the shifting dynamics on the ground.

The skirmishes in North Darfur are part of a larger conflict that erupted in Sudan in May, pitting the RSF against the national army. The RSF has already gained control of four out of five states in Darfur, indicating a troubling trend in the ongoing instability in the region.As the situation remains fluid, both sides are poised for further confrontations, with the local population caught in the crossfire of a conflict that continues to escalate without a clear resolution in sight.