Sudanese army claims interception of rival militia supplies

Forces fighting alongside the Sudanese army said on February 28th that they had intercepted military supplies from a convoy destined for the rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia in North Darfur, reported Reuters.

The RSF denied that a convoy had been attacked, and told Reuters the statement about the interception was “incorrect and mere lies.” Reuters was not able to independently verify those claims.

The claim came from the Joint Forces, which includes former rebel groups allied with the Sudanese army, who say the RSF brought in the supplies for indiscriminate attacks on neighbourhoods in al-Fashir, the army’s last holdout in the Darfur region, and Omdurman, in addition to camps for displaced people.

The RSF has launched several attacks in North Darfur, including some aimed at the famine-stricken Zamzam camp south of al-Fashir in February. The RSF denies indiscriminate attacks on residential areas or targeting civilians, and says the Joint Forces use human shields.

The Joint Forces statement said the convoy contained a large amount of military supplies, which included 10,000 rounds of 40mm artillery shells, 12,000 rounds of howitzer shells, and numerous rockets and bombs.

The statement also said the Joint Forces “neutralized” foreign fighters, without going into more detail. The Joint Forces in recent months have said they had intercepted Colombian fighters, which prompted apologies from Bogota.