Rapid support extends to new areas in central Sudan’s Al Jazeera State

The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) penetrated into new areas within the Central Sudan State of Jazeera one day after asserting control over the Al-Ailoun area east of Khartoum.

On Thursday and Friday, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) swept up the town of Alifoun – 30 km east of Khartoum – and forced thousands of citizens to flee, following accusations of looting homes, shops and civilian vehicles and arresting dozens of residents.

The invasion of Ali ‘aon by rapid support came in response to an attack by the Sudanese army with warplanes on positions and gatherings of its troops in the Soba area east of Khartoum.

Witnesses said that “following its control of Al-Ailoun, RSF deployed east beyond the areas of Umm Dawa Ban, Al-Aasilat and Katrang, with a view to establishing military outposts in the areas of Al-Bashakra, Wood Rawah and Al-Aidj, Al-Jazeera State.”

They noted that rapid support had restricted the movement of a large number of citizens wishing to arrive in East Nile and forced them to return to the city of Rifaa, and had also arrested a number of citizens on the grounds that they were depleted to fight with the army.

In a video broadcast by the forces’ platforms, Al Jazeera State Mobile Commander Abu Agil Kikel said that they were on their way to Rifaa, where a local head east of Al Jazeera pointed out that they were on their way to the civilians of the state capital.

He said: “We have no problem with a citizen who cannot reach out to a citizen and we have not looted houses or been there.”

Abu Akil Kikel is the founder of the so-called Sudan Shield Forces (SDF), which emerged in 2022, where he was active in the island, Gedaref and Khartoum states criticizing the Juba Peace Agreement and the armed movements he demanded to integrate into the military.

Following the outbreak of the war between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on April 15, Kickel went into public view before appearing last July announcing that his forces would join the RSF.

With the deployment of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in villages east of the island, a major supply route on which the army relied to transport troops and military supplies to its forces in East Nile locality, Khartoum State, has been cut off. The army has previously pushed movements from the states of Qadarif and Al Jazeera, exploiting the eastern road leading to the capital.

RSF also controls the western road linking Khartoum and Al Jazeera States with areas of Mas’ Saudi Arabia, Nuba, Jeddah Al-Revolu and Jade as far as Al-Baqeer.

The war in the Sudan, which began in Khartoum and extended to large areas in the States of Darfur and Kordofan, marked the completion of its sixth month amid widening confrontations between the parties.