Sudanese army says it captured key RSF-held capital of al-Jazira state

The Sudanese army said it and allied armed groups captured the key Rapid Support Forces (RSF)-held capital of al-Jazira state.

A video shared by the army on Saturday showed fighters claiming to be inside Wad Madani, while an army source told AFP they had “stormed the city’s eastern entrance”.

The office of army-allied government spokesman and Information Minister Khalid al-Aiser said in a statement that they had “liberated Gezira state capital Wad Madani.”

The city had, for a year, been under the control of the RSF, the paramilitary force that has fought with the Sudanese army since April 2023.

Fighting has been ongoing in al-Jazira, with the army retaking much of the state.

The RSF has been accused of widespread atrocities and human rights abuses across the state, with Middle East Eye reporting multiple cases of sexual assault carried out by the paramilitary group.

According to eyewitnesses and local activists, RSF fighters and unaffiliated criminal gangs have killed, raped and abducted civilians, as well as looting homes, robbing people and burning down buildings. 

In one particularly shocking incident, a young woman was raped by 16 RSF fighters. The incident was confirmed by the girl’s family and a neighbour, but the family did not want to provide further details due to the shame and stigma attached to the assault.

The war in Sudan has displaced over 11 million people, according to the UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM), with over 25 million civilians facing acute hunger. More than half of Darfur’s population of 10 million have been forced to leave their homes. 

No official or reliable statistics are available for the number of people killed in the ongoing conflict, which began in the capital Khartoum, spread to Darfur and extended into other states. 

Waseem Ahmad, CEO of the Islamic Relief charity, told MEE in October that his team in Sudan estimates the death toll may already be as high as 200,000.