Sudanese Paramilitary Forces Claim Border Town Victory Near Chad

Sudan's Rapid Support Forces announced Saturday they have seized control of Al-Tina, a strategic town along the Chad border. The territorial claim represents another advancement by the paramilitary group in their ongoing conflict with Sudan's regular military forces.

Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces announced Saturday they have successfully seized Al-Tina, a strategic border town adjacent to Chad, representing yet another territorial advancement in their ongoing conflict against Sudan’s national military.

Through a social media announcement, the RSF declared their forces had overtaken the town, which was previously understood to be under control of Joint Forces supporting Sudan’s army. The declaration included video evidence displaying armed personnel celebrating under a sign identifying “District of Al-Tina.”

Sudan’s military has not yet provided an official response to these assertions. Nevertheless, Darfur Governor Minni Minnawi, an army supporter, delivered harsh criticism of the RSF, alleging they deliberately target non-combatants. Minnawi condemned what he characterized as “repeated criminal behavior embodying the worst offenses against the innocent.”

This alleged seizure of Al-Tina occurs while combat between the RSF and government forces continues throughout Sudan, approaching the two-year mark since hostilities began in April 2023. The ongoing warfare has devastated Sudan’s governmental structures and created massive population displacement, with United Nations officials estimating tens of thousands of deaths and approximately 11 million individuals forced to abandon their residences.

Darfur has experienced particularly devastating humanitarian consequences as RSF operations have intensified in recent months. This past Thursday, the United Nations’ independent investigation team examining Sudan determined that the RSF’s October assault on El Fasher, a major Darfur center, demonstrated “the hallmarks of genocide.” El Fasher had represented one of the final significant population centers in the area not completely dominated by RSF before its collapse.

Following that development, the paramilitary organization has escalated activities near Chad’s border, raising alarm about potential regional consequences of the conflict. Late last year, two Chadian military personnel died in border violence incidents, highlighting the expanding regional dangers associated with the warfare.

While opposing forces persist in competing for control over municipalities and supply corridors, extensive areas of Sudan continue experiencing violence, trapping civilians between changing battle zones amid an increasingly catastrophic humanitarian emergency.