Sudan: RSF Captures State Capital, Singa, Thousands Flee

Confidence UbaniJune 30, 20241 Mins read55

Paramilitary forces battling Sudan’s regular army for over a year have claimed the capture of Singa, the capital of Sennar State, in the southeast. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) announced on social media on Sunday, “We have liberated the 17th Infantry Division from Singa.”

Residents confirmed the RSF’s deployment in Singa, with aircraft from the regular army flying overhead and anti-aircraft fire reported.

The conflict, which began in April 2023 between forces loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan and the RSF led by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and displaced millions, creating one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

The RSF’s recent success in Singa further tightens their grip on key regions, bringing them closer to Port Sudan on the Red Sea, where the army, government, and UN agencies are currently based.

Witnesses reported significant civilian displacement, with many fleeing the city in vehicles and on foot.

Thousands of people have taken refuge on the east bank of the Blue Nile, one witness told Al Jazeera.

Sennar state, already housing over one million displaced Sudanese, is a crucial link between central Sudan and the army-controlled southeast.

The RSF now controls most of Khartoum, Al-Jazira state, the Darfur region, and much of Kordofan. They are also besieging El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state.

On Thursday, a UN report highlighted that nearly 26 million people in Sudan are experiencing acute food insecurity, exacerbating the dire humanitarian situation.

The Sudanese army acknowledged the RSF’s claims but insisted their forces remain in Singa and that fighting continues.

Al Jazeera’s Hiba Morgan reported from Khartoum that the RSF increasingly controls more territories, particularly in the eastern and western parts of the country’s south.