Fights in Central and South Darfur as RSF ‘seeks to seize all towns’

ZALINGEI / KASS – July 10, 2023

Clashes took place in Central and South Darfur in the past few days, which resulted in military and civilian deaths. The Darfur Bar Association (DBA) warned that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are seeking to seize all towns and army garrisons in Darfur, “which will lead to a comprehensive collapse of the state apparatus”.

Zalingei in Central Darfur had a difficult day on Saturday as the RSF attacked the command of the 21st Infantry Division at 6 am.

The fighting continued until noon with all kinds of weapons, killing and wounding several soldiers from both sides. One civilian was killed and seven were wounded by stray bullets.

“When the RSF soldiers returned from the command, they killed a trader and wounded more than seven civilians,” a local source reported.

Young volunteers, doctors, and other medical staff are continuing to treat the wounded despite the scarcity of equipment.

RSF soldiers and groups of armed men have been attacking and plundering Zalingei since May. On June 30, a journalist was killed when a missile hit the shelter she was in.

‘When the RSF soldiers returned from the command, they killed a trader and wounded more than seven civilians’

Fierce battles also erupted between the army and the RSF in Kass, South Darfur, on Thursday. The fighting continued on Friday and resulted in at least 40 deaths and an unknown number of injuries among the warring parties.

The Nyala-Kass-Nierteti road, which links Central and South Darfur, has been closed.

The DBA stated that the RSF are seeking to seize all towns and army garrisons in Darfur, “which will lead to a comprehensive collapse of the state apparatus”.

The RSF “do not have any administrative action plan to allow public service facilities to continue providing services to the people,” the Darfur lawyers noted.

They accused affiliates of the dissolved National Congress Party, set up by ousted dictator Omar Al Bashir, to impose their agenda on the army leadership and the course of the war.

“With this approach, the country will move towards more suffering and the spread of total chaos”.

The DBA renewed its demand “for the immediate cessation of this senseless war” and called on the United Nations and the UN Security Council to intervene to protect civilians.