Sudan army retakes strategic area in North Darfur from RSF

The Sudanese army recaptured the strategically important Attrun area in North Darfur from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), local authorities said on Sunday.

“The Sudanese Armed Forces and the Joint Forces achieved great victories by liberating the strategic Attrun area from the grip of the terrorist RSF militia,” Darfur Governor Minni Arko Minnawi said in a Facebook post.

The Joint Forces issued a statement confirming that the Attrun area is now under the army’s control. It said the paramilitary group suffered “severe losses in lives and equipment.”

There was no immediate comment from the RSF on the statement.

Deadly war

Attrun’s strategic importance stems from its location in the far north of North Darfur, along a critical route linking the Northern State with North Darfur and extending toward the border square connecting Sudan with Egypt, Libya, and Chad.

The rebel group had captured the area on April 9 after clashes with army forces.

Since April 2023, the RSF has been battling the army for control of Sudan, resulting in thousands of deaths and creating one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

More than 20,000 people have been killed and 15 million displaced, according to the UN and local authorities. Research from US scholars, however, puts the death toll at around 130,000.