Draft:Territory of the Rapid Support Forces: Difference between revisions

The Territory of the Rapid Support Forces refers to the controlled areas by the Rapid Support Forces from 2023 until 2025.

Tensions arose between al-Burhan and Hemedti over al-Burhan’s restoration to the office of old-guard Islamist officials who had dominated the Omar al-Bashir government. Hemedti saw the appointment of these officials as a signal that al-Burhan was attempting to maintain the dominance of Khartoum’s traditional elite over Sudanese politics. This was a danger to the RSF’s political position, as said elites were hostile to Hemedti due to his ethnic background as a Darfuri Arab.^[3] Hemedti’s expression of regret over the October 2021 coup signalled a widening divide between him and al-Burhan.^[4]

Tensions between the RSF and the SAF began to escalate in February 2023, as the RSF began to recruit members across Sudan.^[5] Throughout February and early March the RSF built up in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum, until a deal was brokered on 11 March and the RSF withdrew.^[6][7] As part of this deal negotiations were conducted between the SAF, RSF, and civilian leaders, but these negotiations were delayed and halted by political disagreements.^[8] Chief among the disputes was the integration of the RSF into the military: the RSF insisted on a 10-year timetable for its integration into the regular army, while the army demanded integration within two years.^[9][10] Other contested issues included the status given to RSF officers in the future hierarchy, and whether RSF forces should be under the command of the army chief rather than Sudan’s commander-in-chief, al-Burhan.^[11]

On 11 April 2023, RSF forces deployed near the city of Merowe as well as in Khartoum.^[12] Government forces ordered them to leave and were refused. This led to clashes when RSF forces took control of the Soba military base south of Khartoum.^[13] On 13 April, RSF forces began their mobilization, raising fears of a potential rebellion against the junta. The SAF has declared the mobilization as illegal.^[14]

On 15 April 2023 the RSF took over the headquarters of the state broadcaster, Sudan TV and the Merowe Airport,^[15] the RSF attacked SAF bases across Sudan, including Khartoum and the Khartoum Airport.^[16][17] The RSF captured the presidential palace.^[18][19] Hemedti claimed that the RSF controlled most of the city’s government buildings, but this was disputed by al-Burhan.^[20] With that the Rapid Support Forces took over there first territories.

The RSF started a occupation of the Khartoum International Airport on the 15 April 2023 which lasted until the 25 March 2025, it’s control over the Merowe Airport ended already after some day’s with the Battle of Merowe Airport. On 2 June 2023 the RSF got control over the National Museum of Sudan complex in Khartoum.^[21] The headquarters of the Police Central Reserve Forces in Khartoum got captured by the RSF on the 25 June 2023.^[22]

Major takeover of areas however started on 4 August 2023, where the RSF took full control over all of Central Darfur.^[23] In September of the same year, the RSF retreated from Um Rawaba in North Kordofan, later the month they tried to take over the town of El-Odeya in West Kordofan.^[24][25] On 6 October 2023 the RSF claimed to have seized control of Al-Ailafoon, 30 kilometres east of Khartoum,^[26] and established positions in Al-Bashaqra, Wad Rawah, and Al-Aidij in Gezira State.^[27] The SAF however denied that the RSF took control of these areas and that they established positions.^[28] The same month the RSF captured various areas like Nyala and the headquarters of the SAF’s 16th Infantry Division in the city,^[29][30] the Balila oilfield and its airport in West Kordofan, along with 15 SAF vehicles (The RSF withdraw from Balila after this),^[31][32] the headquarters of the SAF’s 21st Infantry Division in Zalingei^[33] (other parts of Zalingei were already takenover by the RSF since August 2023),^[34] the SAF’s 6th Infantry Division in El-Fasher and also shelled the Al-Takrir neighborhood.^[35] The next month the RSF took over various areas like the headquarters of the SAF’s 15th Infantry Division in Geneina,^[36] the Shag Omar oilfield in Abu Karinka, East Darfur and attacked the Zarga Um Hadid oilfield in Adila.^[37] Also it took control of the Al-Nujoumi Air Base in Jabal Awliya (which the SAF denied)^[38] a bridge in the area linking Khartoum and Omdurman, army base in Jebel Aulia,^[39] the headquarters of the SAF’s 20th Infantry Division in Ed Daein,^[40] The RSF took over Wad Madani after the First battle of Wad Madani in December 2023 and occupied it until January 2025. The headquarters of the 1st Brigade of the SAF’S 1st Infantry Division in Wad Madani was also captuted by the RSF following the takeover of Wad Madani, they also occupied the eastern entrance to the Hantoub Bridge.^[41][42] A major achievement of the RSF in December 2023 was the full occupation of the Gezira State,^[43] The takeover of the town al-Hasaheisa in the Gezira State,^[44] the town El Geteina^[45] and of the town Habila in South Kordofan.^[46]

In March 2024 the RSF took over El Medina Arab, Gezira State, and tried to reach El Managil.^[47] The Wad al-Bashir Bridge in Omdurman gor re-occupied by the RSF.^[48] While this was a victory for the RSF day’s before they lost the Doha neighbourhood in Omdurman to the SAF.^[49] A victory for the RSF was the capturing of the town of Mellit, North Darfur, which cemented it’s hold over areas north of El Fasher in April.^[50] In May the RSF had only small achievements like the re-occupation of Um Rawaba and of the Golo water reservoir west of El Fasher, which got recaptured by the SAF the next day.^[51][52][53] In June the RSF captured Al-Fulah, the capital of the state of West Korodofan.^[54] While a victory for the RSF, the SAF re-took the Sennar Sugar Factory and the Jabal Moya area in the Sennar State da’s later.^[55] After the re-take the RSF began to advance into the Sennar State, tooking over Jebel Moya and the capital Singa and the there located headquarter of the 17th Infantry Division.^[56][57] Another major achievement for the RSF in was the occupation Mazmoum, Wad an-Nail, Suki and Dinder, and were advancing towards the border of South Sudan.^[58] The SAF striked back and re-took the Doha neighbourhood and its surroundings in Omdurman^[59] and later also recaptured Dinder from the RSF.^[60] One day after the recapturing of Dinder, the RSF occupied Al-Meiram, West Kordofan.^[61][62] One day later the RSF captured Dinder again from the SAF.^[63]

On 1 January 2025 the RSF took over Wad Rawah until 1 February 2025 when it got captured back by the SAF.^[64] also the SAF recaptured the town of El Geteina in February.^[65]

Hemedti announced the creation of the the Sudan Agency for Relief and Humanitarian Operations (SARHO) a own aid agency of the RSF which operated in the areas controlled by the Rapid Support Forces.^[66]

The RSF imposed a ban on residents of West Darfur from fleeing to the Republic of Chad with limited exceptions shortly after the takeover of the the border post at Kereneik.^[67]

Since the beginning of the civil war, markets with the name “Dagalo Markets” were found in different places like Kordofan, Darfur and the Khartoum metropolitan area, there are also common in the cities of west Sudan which is were the RSF had much power. Goods which were looted by the Rapid Support Forces, affiliated militias or criminal gangs are put on these markets by smugglers. Also the opponent of the RSF, the SAF takes part of the “Dagalo Markets”.^[68]