Sudanese Army Chief of Staff Gen. Yasser al-Atta said the armed forces plan in the coming phase is to deploy troops continuously to the battlefronts, signaling an intensification of military operations in Darfur, Kordofan and Blue Nile. During an inspection of special forces at a frontline position in Khartoum on Tuesday, al-Atta strongly criticized the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), accusing them of systematically committing killings, ethnic cleansing and genocide on ethnic and tribal grounds, according to an army statement. The chief of staff ordered the continuous deployment of all troop contingents to reinforce forces already positioned in operational areas toward Darfur in western Sudan. “They killed and exterminated our brothers in El Geneina, North Darfur and villages in Al Jazira in central Sudan, and they continue to this day to kill civilians in West Kordofan,” he stated. Al-Atta also accused the RSF of exploiting traditional administration leaders, including tribal chiefs and mayors, to recruit children and send them into battle under the pretext of protecting women from killing and rape. He stressed that the Sudanese Army is “a national and professional force that does not fight civilians.” “We reassure our people in Darfur that we are coming to protect them from the violations of the rebel and lawless RSF, so that they can enjoy security and stability like the states that have been cleared of the rebellion,” he said. Al-Atta had earlier vowed to eliminate the RSF before the end of this year. Blue Nile Last month, the Sudanese Army recaptured several strategic areas in North Kordofan, including the towns of Bara, Jabra al-Sheikh, Umm Sayala and Umm Qirfa, while the RSF retreated to positions it continued to control in West Kordofan state. The army chief’s remarks came as the RSF continued to strengthen its control over strategic positions in the Blue Nile region of southeastern Sudan after seizing the areas of Bakori and Sarkam in recent days. At the same time, the Sudanese Army has continued to amass additional troops and military equipment to halt the RSF advance in Blue Nile. The 4th Infantry Division, headquartered in Damazin, the regional capital, on Tuesday received the first contingent of the Joint Force comprising armed movements that support the army. The troops are to join elite forces deployed in recent days to frontlines around Bakori and Sarkam. The division’s commander, Maj. Gen. Ismail al-Tayeb, said the forces were fully prepared to continue their operations in the region, adding that “the rebellion is suffering successive and painful blows on various battlefronts.” Humanitarian Situation Separately, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said humanitarian organizations continue to provide lifesaving assistance in Sudan despite the ongoing conflicts and funding shortages. The International Organization for Migration, for its part, revealed that 730 people fled several villages in South Kordofan on Sunday. According to the World Health Organization, more than 2,600 cholera cases had been reported across several states through early August, with Kordofan at the center of the latest outbreak. UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Tuesday that the United Nations and its partners were stepping up efforts to combat cholera, as health workers continued to provide treatment, conduct vaccination campaigns and distribute essential medical supplies. He added that humanitarian organizations were expanding efforts to provide clean water in Kordofan, where a water network rehabilitated with UNICEF support in Abu Jubeiha provides safe water to about 25,000 people a day, including 5,000 displaced people.
