Sudanese army takes control of strategic area in West Darfur after RSF clashes

The Sudanese army has taken control of the Bir Kelekel area in West Darfur state following clashes with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a Sudanese official said Wednesday.

West Darfur governor Bahr al-Din Adam Karama said in a statement that the army and allied forces made “significant progress” in Bir Kelekel, located in the eastern part of the Jebel Moon district.

Karama described the capture of the area as an important development for the Sudanese state, saying it has strategic significance because of its location near Jebel Moon.

He said military operations on the West Darfur axis were continuing according to plans to restore security and maintain Sudan’s unity and sovereignty.

Videos on social media

Sudanese army personnel also posted videos on social media announcing that their forces had taken control of Bir Kelekel.

The Joint Force of armed groups allied with the Sudanese army announced on October 5 that its forces and the army had taken control of Bir Saliba in West Darfur following fighting with the paramilitary RSF.

Of Sudan’s 18 states, the paramilitary RSF controls all five states in the western Darfur region, except for parts of North and West Darfur that remain under army control. The army controls most of the other 13 states, including the capital, Khartoum.

Sudan has been engulfed in a conflict between the army and the paramilitary RSF since April 2023. Fighting has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced 13 million.