CAIRO (Reuters) – Forces fighting alongside Sudan’s army said on Friday they had intercepted a substantial quantity of military supplies from a convoy destined for the rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in North Darfur.
The RSF denied that a convoy had been attacked, telling Reuters the statement from the Joint Forces was “incorrect and mere lies.” Reuters was unable to independently verify the claims.
The Joint Forces, which include former rebel groups allied with the Sudanese army, accused the RSF of bringing in the supplies for the indiscriminate shelling of neighbourhoods in al-Fashir, the army’s last holdout in the Darfur region, and Omdurman, as well as camps for displaced people.
The RSF has launched repeated attacks in North Darfur, including at the famine-stricken Zamzam camp south of al-Fashir earlier this month.
The RSF denies indiscriminate shelling of residential areas or targeting civilians, and accuses the Joint Forces of using human shields.
The convoy, intercepted southeast of al-Fashir, contained a large amount of military supplies, including 10,000 rounds of 40mm artillery shells, 12,000 rounds of howitzer shells, and various rockets and bombs, the Joint Forces statement said.
The Joint Forces said they also “neutralized” foreign mercenaries, without giving further details. In recent months the Joint Forces said they had intercepted Colombian mercenaries, prompting apologies from the South American country.
A power struggle between Sudan’s army and the RSF erupted into warfare in April 2023 ahead of a planned transition to civilian rule, triggering a massive displacement and hunger crisis.
On Thursday, the U.N. human rights chief warned of further escalation in Sudan and said there was a growing risk of deaths from starvation on a wide scale.
(Reporting by Khalid Abdelaziz, writing by Mohamed Ezz; editing by Aidan Lewis)
