Sennar regains his composure after the Royal Singapore Regiment’s attack was repelled

June 26, 2024 (SENAR) – After a night of terror following an incursion by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) near the city of Sennar in southeastern Sudan, a tense calm has returned to the city. Sudanese troops successfully repelled the attack, inflicting heavy casualties and seizing military equipment.

On Tuesday night, RSF forces advanced towards the suburbs of Sennar, targeting army positions in the Al-Arab area in the north of the city. The army, with the support of the BroadCast Unitedligence services and the Popular Resistance, eventually defeated the RSF, causing heavy casualties and weapons losses.

The next day, Sudanese troops displayed civilian vehicles and artillery pieces allegedly used in the attack and seized from the Rapid Security Forces. The commander of the Sennar garrison addressed a military rally, saying that Sennar had taught the enemy a severe lesson and that a large number of Rapid Security Force fighters had been killed.

In a related development, Popular Resistance Movement spokesman Ammar Hassan Ammar announced on Facebook that an RSF unit that attempted to reinforce besieged units in the Jabal Moya area had been eliminated. The commander of the unit, a lieutenant colonel, was reportedly killed in the operation.

The Sudanese army has sent troops from the neighboring White Nile state to join the fight with RSF forces.

The attack on Sennar came a day after the Rapid Support Forces seized control of the strategic Moya Hill area, a key link between Sennar, Al Jazira Governorate and White Nile State.

The escalating conflict has led to widespread fear and panic among residents of Sennar, with many fleeing to the city center or neighboring towns. The Sudanese army has urged residents to stay in their homes and has reportedly blocked the road to Singa, moving evacuees to the town of Mayeno.

Although relative calm has returned and the shelling has ceased, tensions remain in the city, with many residents seeking refuge in Gedaref state. There is also a fuel crisis, with black marketeers taking advantage of petrol station closures to hike prices.

Since the end of last year, the Rapid Support Forces’ control over Al Jazira governorate has facilitated their expansion southwards, leading to the capture of several villages in western Sennar and large-scale human rights violations against civilians, including killings, looting, arrests and forced displacement.