SAF sources say they captured more than 10 fighters from South Sudan in Kazqil and al-Rayash, North Kordofan, and intend to present evidence to South Sudanese authorities. RSF official al-Basha Tabiq says RSF adviser Hamid Ali Abubakar and aides were killed in an SAF drone strike near Zalingei. Fighting across Kordofan and Darfur has displaced tens of thousands, with North Darfur reporting over 6,500 families forced from their homes. The humanitarian crisis has deepened since the war began in April 2023.
Sudan Says It Captured South Sudanese Fighters With RSF; RSF Adviser Reportedly Killed in Drone Strike
A woman and a child, displaced from North Darfur's capital, el-Fasher, or other conflict-affected areas, walk in the newly established el-Afadh camp in al-Dabba, in Sudan's Northern State, Sudan [Marwan Ali/AP]
Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) sources say they detained fighters from South Sudan who were fighting alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) during clashes this week in central Sudan, according to government-aligned sources speaking to Al Jazeera.
The sources said SAF and allied units captured more than 10 individuals on Thursday in the towns of Kazqil and al-Rayash in North Kordofan state. They added that Sudan plans to formally present evidence to the government of South Sudan to support claims that these fighters were embedded with RSF ranks.
RSF Adviser Killed, According to RSF
In a separate development, RSF security adviser al-Basha Tabiq announced on Facebook that Hamid Ali Abubakar, an adviser to RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo and leader of the RSF unit known as "al-Saif al-Battar," was killed along with several aides in what the RSF described as an SAF drone strike near Zalingei, the capital of Central Darfur state.
Tabiq mourned "Commander Adviser Hamid Ali Abubakar," accused SAF of "assassinating" him and warned that the army would "pay a heavy price for this crime."
Widening Fighting and Humanitarian Toll
The three Kordofan states — North, West and South — have seen intense clashes between SAF and RSF units in recent weeks, displacing tens of thousands of people. Thousands of families fleeing renewed fighting in Kordofan and Darfur have arrived in the riverside city of Kosti, where camps are reportedly overcrowded and international assistance is stretched thin.
The North Darfur Emergency Chambers Council has warned of a worsening humanitarian disaster in the Umbro locality of North Darfur state, reporting that more than 6,500 families have been forced to flee heavy fighting amid an RSF offensive.
Of Sudan's 18 states, the RSF now controls most of the five Darfur states in the west, while some northern areas of North Darfur remain under SAF control. The Sudanese army holds the majority of territory across the other 13 states, including the capital, Khartoum.
Sudan's humanitarian crisis has sharply deteriorated since fighting erupted in April 2023 over a dispute about unifying the country's military forces. The conflict has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions, leaving large parts of the country facing severe shortages of aid, shelter and basic services.
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