East Darfur: Dozens injured as RSF seizes and takes control of SAF base in Eldien

(28 November 2023) The African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies (ACJPS) has documented an incident on 19 November 2023, where the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) engaged in a gunfight at the SAF base in Eldien town also known as Division 20 injuring 68 people. ACJPS reiterates its calls to RSF and SAF to engage in peaceful dialogue to find a lasting and peaceful solution to the conflict, honor ceasefire pacts, and respect citizens’ rights to life and property.

On 20 November 2023, at about 04:30 am, the RSF seized and took control of the SAF base.  A reliable source informed ACJPS that the circumstances surrounding the takeover were quite different because the warring parties were not involved in any gunfight whatsoever and that the RSF entered the base and did not face any resistance from SAF. This is because SAF had withdrawn from the base at around 11:00 am on 19 November 2023 after the gunfight and moved towards the south and southwest direction.

The Native Administration of the Rezigate tribe is responsible for stopping the gunfight between the parties as it intervened and communicated to both the RSF and SAF to ceasefire.  The native administration was represented by the deputy head, Mr. Afadil Saeed Musa Madibbo in the meeting with the warring parties.

The seizure of Division 20 by RSF automatically led to the seizure of other SAF bases in East Darfur particularly those in Abu Karinka and Adila localities. Shortly after, RSF announced the appointment of Officer Hassan Salih Nahar as RSF command in East Darfur and also the head of the state security committee. Mr. Nahar is a former member of the Sudanese Liberation Army led by Mani Manawi and joined RSF in 2014.

 Other developments

On 19 November 2023, after calm had been restored in Eldien, Mr. Alfadil Saeed Madibbo personally participated in a peaceful demonstration by the traders in the Eldien market against the closure of the said market. The traders believed that the closure of the market would create an opportunity for RSF to launch an attack on it. Additionally, the head of Native Administration (the Nazir of the Rezigate tribe), Mr. Mahmoud Musa Ibrahim Musa Madibbo made a speech at a mosque in Eldien in which he called on General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, the commander of the RSF not to allow his officers to attack Eldien town. He added that he would be in the front line to defend if it happened.

According to a reliable source, this came after the arrival of RSF troops from Elgenina in West Darfur, Nyala in South Darfur, and Elfashir, the capital of North Darfur. They allegedly gathered in the area called Um Wargat located around 17-18 kilometers west of Eldien. The source further informed ACJPS that another group of armed militias on motorcycles and others on foot came from different areas of East Darfur and gathered in Donki Abu Zinba locality, located South West of SAF base and South of Eldien waiting for the first bullet to be fired. It is alleged that this group participated in looting in the town.

The source also informed ACJPS that RSF deployed some troops in the market and other institutions such as the Sudan Bank. According to the sources, this shows that although RSF was planning to take over the town, they didn’t want to be responsible for the looting and other crimes that would be committed as this would bring a misunderstanding between them (RSF) and the Native Administration.

RSF deployed troops to protect the stores belonging to the World Food Program but unfortunately, SAF’s air forces bombarded the said stores and SAF base that had been seized by RSF on 20 November 2023. This prompted RSF to engage resulting in the death of six people namely;

1. Farah Aldoor Munor Breamah (m)
2. Hameed Munor Breamah (m)
3. Ibrahim Munor Breamah (m)
4. Ibrahim Abu Alsura Ibrahim (m)
5. Algali Bakhit (m)
6. Ismail Bakhit (m)

RSF also deployed troops at the offices of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) to prevent any possible looting and destruction of property.

RSF also seized and took control of the airport inside Eldien without any resistance from SAF.

Names of People who sustained injuries on 19 November 2023

1. Abdallah Abdul Rasool Mohamed (m)
2. Abdallah Abdul Rasool Mohamed Garad (m)
3. Abdallah Hussein Berina Abdul Hameed(m)
4. Abdallah Younis Abdallah (m)
5. Abdul Alhadi Adam Abdul Rahman (m)
6. Abdul Kareen Mohamed Mahmoud Mohamed (m)
7. Abdul Rahman Hassan Adam Ishaq (m)
8. Abkar Daoud Alsdiq Adam (m)
9. Adam Ibrahim Ali Al-Dakom (m)
10. Adam Mohamed Abdallah Mudawi (m)
11. Adam Mohamed Ali Jebreel
12. Adam Musa Shegifat (m)
13. Ahmed Abdul Rahman Jodo Allah (m)
14. Ahmed Musa Naeem (m)
15. Al dood Faraq Tahameed Murhal (m).
16. Al- haj Abdallah Yousef Abdallah (m)
17. AL Noreen Ahmed Idris (m)
18. Ali Alsakin Nasur Idris (m)
19. Ali Hameed Ali Hameed (m)
20. Ali Hello Daw (m)
21. Ali Ibrahim Alfadil (m)
22. Ali Rahimullah Ahmed Almalla (m)
23. Alsadiq Noah Ali Jam Allah (m)
24. Alzain Saeed Hussies Mohamoud (m)
25. Amin Ibrahim Mahmoud Saad (m)
26. Babkir Adam Alsakin Ahmed (m)
27. Badur Eldien Mohamed Adam Mosable (m)
28. Berima Ibrahim Abdallah AL Bashir (m)
29. Breima Adam Ali (m)
30. Eltahir Abdallah Abdallah Hameed (m)
31. Elteybe Adam Ali Aldodo(m)
32. Elteybe Hamed Badur Eldien Mohamed (m)
33. Elteyeb Adam Ali Hassan Adam Ismail (m)
34. Elteyeb Alsidq Abdul Raman Ali (m)
35. Fadul ALI Mohamed Hamed(m).
36. Fadul Alsidiq Alamin (m)
37. Goni Judo Hamed Mohamed (m)
38. Hamed Isa Abdul Rahman (m)
39. Hameed Isa Abdul Rahman Almala(m)
40. Hassan Abdul Rahman Kiber (m)
41. Hassan Alradi Alfadil (m)
42. Hussies Mohamed Musa Faiq(m)
43. Hussies Musa Aman (m)
44. Ibrahim Adam Ali (m)
45. Ibrahim ishaq Mado (m)
46. Isa Alnair Isa Mohamed (m)
47. Isa Mohamed Zain Kashoum (m)
48. Isawi Adam Isawi Musa (m)
49. Izz Edlien Hameed Yahya Abdul Fograz (m)
50. Jumma Alftinie Daoud Hessian (m)
51. Jumma Alsadiq Terbo (m)
52. Jumma Zaidan Reyhan Jamal Eldien (m)
53. Khatir Mohamed Zain (m)
54. Mahmoud Mohamed Adam Taj Eldien (m)
55. Mohamed Alsidq Osman Suliman (m)
56. Mohamed Ibrahim Musa Seneen (m)
57. Murhal Tahameed Fadel Bakar(m).
58. Musab Mohamed AL Mustafa Ahmed (m)
59. Mustafa Abdallah Mohamed Ahmed (m)
60. Omer Ibrahim Eltahir (m)
61. Omer Mahmoud Salih (m)
62. Omer Mohamed Sharaf Eldien (m)
63. Osman Mohamed Farah AL door (m)
64. Osman Musa Aljak Osman (m)
65. Sadam Ahmed Adam Jebreel (m)
66. Salah Eldien Adam Manzil (m)
67. Tabir Mohamed Abdul Naeem (m)
68. Adam Hassan Haran (m) 

Background

Eldien town in East Darfur is controlled by the Rezigate Native Administration and they have managed to keep it peaceful since the beginning of the war in April 2023. Because of this, the town has turned into a hub for people fleeing from other Darfur states. The town currently hosts more than 75, 000 internally displaced persons.  It also has two refugee camps hosting South Sudanese refugees.

 The Native administration under the leadership of Mr. Mahmoud Saeed Madebo and his deputy Alfadil Madebo has managed to implement local ceasefire agreements between SAF and RSF   since the war erupted in April 2023. According to the gentlemen, the agreements distinctively provide that each party must stay in their bases. Native Administration guards are responsible for protecting humanitarian workers in East Darfur and facilitating their evacuation outside Sudan among other terms. They added that the implementation of such provisions has helped maintain peace in East Darfur.

The Native Administration also came up with other initiatives such as organizing football tournaments between neighborhoods in the state to help bring the people together and thus ease tension. They further conducted public awareness in places such as the market to advocate against the war.

They have managed to prevent at least four attempts of gunfights between SAF and RSF and continue to call upon the parties to honor the agreement.  They have been able to do all this through collaboration with other leaders in the communities.

Although the Native Administration has registered several successes, there have been incidents where the agreements have been dishonored and violations have occurred such as looting and random shootings that resulted in the death of 83 civilians.