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Battle of Nyala

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Battle of Nyala
Part of the Darfur campaign of the 2023 Sudan conflict

Nyala as of 6 May 2023
Date15–20 April 2023 (2023-04-15 – 2023-04-20)
(5 days)
Location
Nyala, South Darfur, Sudan
Result

Ceasefire

  • RSF capture Nyala International Airport
  • SAF holds military headquarters and parts of the city
  • Civilians in several neighborhoods revolt against both sides
Belligerents
Sudanese Armed Forces Rapid Support Forces Civilian militias
Commanders and leaders
Abdel Fattah al-Burhan Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo No centralized leadership
Casualties and losses
4+ (April 20 only)[1] Unknown

31+ killed, 271+ injured[2]

Hundreds of casualties[3]
Unknown, possible wounded

The battle of Nyala was a battle for control of Nyala, the capital of South Darfur in Sudan, between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), and the Sudanese Armed Forces during the ongoing Darfur campaign. The battle occurred between 15 and 20 April 2023, during which hundreds were reported dead.[4] A civilian-brokered ceasefire paused the fighting by April 20.

Prelude

In the early hours of the morning of 15 April 2023, soldiers loyal to the Rapid Support Forces started a series of assaults on key buildings in Khartoum, primarily the Khartoum International Airport. While the international airport was captured by the RSF, street battles continued throughout Khartoum and the neighboring cities of Omdurman and Bahri.[5][6] The RSF also captured the presidential palace, the residence of the former Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir, and attacked a military base.[7][8] Users on Facebook Live and Twitter documented the Sudanese Air Force flying above the city, and striking the RSF targets.[9]

Origin in Darfur

The history of conflicts in Sudan has consisted of foreign invasions and resistance, ethnic tensions, religious disputes, and competition over resources.[10][11] In its modern history, two civil wars between the central government and the southern regions killed 1.5 million people, and a continuing conflict in the western region of Darfur has displaced two million people and killed more than 200,000 people.[12] Since independence in 1956, Sudan has had more than fifteen military coups[13] and it has also been ruled by the military for the majority of the republic's existence, with only brief periods of democratic civilian parliamentary rule.[14]

Before the War

Nyala was one of the largest refugee havens in Darfur during the War in Darfur, and was also greatly targeted by warring armies. This has caused Nyala to be a city with an excessive amount of wars and battles between the last few decades.

Timeline

15 April

Conflict began early in the morning of April 15.[15] Due to the outbreak of fighting, all markets and schools in Nyala were closed, and civilians were urged to stay in their homes.[16] The Nyala hospital stated that six civilians were killed early on in the clashes.[17] Most clashes took place inside the city, and an attack on the al-Malja market killed three people.[18] The SAF also claimed to repel an attack by RSF on Nyala International Airport and the Sudanese army regional command bases next to it.[18] At least eleven people were killed in Nyala and Khartoum, and over sixteen injured, in Nyala on the first day of fighting.[19]

16 April

By April 16, Nyala recorded the most fatalities in the fighting, and clashes took place at the SAF bases and near the Nyala hospital.[20] The RSF took control of the Nyala Airport on April 16, after a 90-minute long attack pushed Sudanese forces to the eastern neighborhoods of the city.[21] In battles in Kabkabiya, three World Food Programme aid workers were killed, prompting the organization to suspend all activities in Darfur, including Nyala.[22] Little was known about the continued attacks on April 16 or the civilian death toll, due to fog of war.[23][24]

17 April

Several UN agency offices were looted in Nyala by the RSF, including the WFP, UNHCR, and UNICEF.[25] Médecins Sans Frontières reported that they could no longer conduct relief activities in the city, as their offices in Nyala had been looted.[26] The RSF also captured the South Darfur Ministry of Finance that day, and clashes between army forces and the RSF in the neighborhoods of El Wadi, El Geer, and El Sereif caused civilians to flee.[27] The El-Salam refugee camp, adjacent to Nyala, was also cut off from supplies due to the fighting. The RSF also consolidated control over the headquarters of the Sudanese Army's 7th Regiment.[28]

18 April

By April 18, fighting had simmered down partially, and unknown gunmen on rickshaws allegedly affiliated with the RSF patrolled the city, ransacking NGOs and looting businesses.[27] Theft took place at the Nyala Crops Exhange and police headquarters, in the industrial zone of the city.[29] In the evening of April 18, the Nyala Central Hospital ceased operations due to a lack of power.[30] Injured patients were brought to the Nyala Teaching Hospital and the Sudanese-Turkish hospital, the other two operating hospitals in the city. Other medical associations, including MSF, halted operations due to an inability to reach civilians through the fighting.[31] Most fighting continued to take place near Nyala International Airport and the Sudanese Army's 16th Division command next to it.[32]

19 April

Further reports of the RSF-aligned gunmen emerged in Nyala on April 19, as violence settled further.[33] Around this time, the Sudanese Army controlled the 16th Division's military base, and the RSF controlled the airport, with a resident stating they "have 50-50 percent control of the area."[32] The day was relatively quiet in the city, although at night, protests by civilians occurred in neighborhoods against both the RSF and SAF.[34]

20 April

On April 20, a civilian-brokered ceasefire halted fighting between the RSF and SAF.[35][36] The Nyala Central Hospital also began operations again, as electricity made its way back to the city.[37] Some fighting continued in the north of the city later in the day, and civilian barricades were not taken down.[38] By April 20, RSF forces were in El Matar, El Riyadh, and El Malja neighborhoods close to the airport.[39]

Aftermath

The ceasefire continued to hold through May. The Turkish hospital in Nyala announced that the area around the hospital had slowed down fighting and that most hospitals are able to return to work.[40] The Ministry of Education in the city was burned down on April 21, despite the truce.[41] Eight bodies were collected by civilians in the days following the battle in areas that were unable to reach due to fighting.[42] The market also returned, although prices were high. Meanwhile, inmates at the Nyala prison were released due to a lack of food and sufficient goods to hold them.[42] The provisional death toll of the battle saw over 31 civilians killed, and 279 injured.[41][38]

References

  1. ^ [1]
  2. ^ [2]
  3. ^ "Sudan: Explosive Weapons Harming Civilians". Human Rights Watch. 4 May 2023. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  4. ^ "Half the hospitals in Sudan's capital are 'out of action' as casualties rise". Egypt Independent. 19 April 2023. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  5. ^ "Sudan unrest: RSF captures presidential palace as violence rages". www.geo.tv. Archived from the original on 16 April 2023. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  6. ^ "Saudi airline says plane came under fire at Khartoum International Airport". Reuters. 15 April 2023. Archived from the original on 16 April 2023. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
  7. ^ "Sudan: Paramilitary group says it controls palace, Khartoum airport". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. Archived from the original on 16 April 2023. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
  8. ^ "Sudan's RSF say it seized presidential palace, Khartoum airport in apparent coup bid". Al Arabiya English. 15 April 2023. Archived from the original on 16 April 2023. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
  9. ^ "Fighting between Sudan military rivals enters a second day, with dozens dead". CNN. 15 April 2023. Archived from the original on 15 April 2023. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
  10. ^ Sawant, Ankush B. (1998). "Ethnic Conflict in Sudan in Historical Perspective". International Studies. 35 (3): 343–363. doi:10.1177/0020881798035003006. ISSN 0020-8817. S2CID 154750436. Archived from the original on 16 April 2023. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  11. ^ Fluehr-Lobban, Carolyn (1990). "Islamization in Sudan: A Critical Assessment". Middle East Journal. 44 (4): 610–623. ISSN 0026-3141. JSTOR 4328193. Archived from the original on 27 February 2023. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
  12. ^ "Sudan: The basics". BBC News. 17 April 2023. Archived from the original on 15 April 2023. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  13. ^ Fabricius, Peter (31 July 2020). "Sudan, a coup laboratory". Institute for Security Studies. Archived from the original on 17 April 2023. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  14. ^ Biajo, Nabeel (22 October 2022). "Military Rule No Longer Viable in Sudan: Analyst". VOA Africa. Archived from the original on 17 April 2023. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  15. ^ Ahmed, Gouja (15 April 2023). "Now the sounds of cannons and weapons in the city of Nyala". Twitter. Retrieved 5 May 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  16. ^ Darfur 24 (15 April 2023). "إندلاع إشتباكات بين الجيش السوداني والدعم السريع بمدينة نيالا". موقع دارفور٢٤ الاخباري (in Arabic). Retrieved 5 May 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  17. ^ Ahmed, Gouja (15 April 2023). "Nyala Hospital: @24Darfur the death within the civilian are 6 people in clashes that took place between SAF and RSF, still their dead body are in Nyala morgue, and 16 are people injured. they have admitted in the accident department.@AyinSudan@hrw@JohnLechner1@KholoodKhair". Twitter. Retrieved 5 May 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  18. ^ a b SudanTribune (15 April 2023). "About 11 civilians killed across Sudan after SAF-RSF clashes". Sudan Tribune. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  19. ^ Press, JACK JEFFERY Associated (15 April 2023). "Sudan's army and rival force battle, killing at least 27". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  20. ^ "Civilian toll rises in Sudan as military, rivals fight for control". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  21. ^ Ahmed, Gouja (5 May 2023). "Nyala Airport is now in the grip of the RSF, after an attack that lasted more than an hour and a half. Eyewitnesses from the eastern neighborhoods of Majok, al-Jabal, and Figo confirm that the control of Nyala Airport was secured by the RSF". Twitter. Retrieved 5 May 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  22. ^ Darfur 24 (16 April 2023). "WFP suspends operation in Sudan". Darfur24 News Website. Retrieved 5 May 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  23. ^ "Sudan: Civilians among 56 killed during heavy fighting between army and paramilitary forces". Sky News. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  24. ^ "Latest News Of Clashes In Sudan, 16 April 2023 - Islamic World News". 17 April 2023. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  25. ^ Ahmed, Gouja (16 April 2023). "NYAL:17Apr, still now the clashes are going around the city center and north areas from the city, numbers of government institutions, hospital and medical centers been looted by armed Militia". Twitter. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  26. ^ Picheta, Jessie Yeung,Teele Rebane,Rob (18 April 2023). "Ceasefire crumbles amid chaos in Sudan as death toll reaches 270". CNN. Retrieved 5 May 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  27. ^ a b Bergman, Andrew (17 April 2023). "Deadly Sudan Army-RSF clashes spark human tragedy, widespread looting in Darfur". Dabanga Radio TV Online. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  28. ^ Ahmed, Gouja (17 April 2023). "RSF withdrawal from the HQ Seventh Regiment, for RSF in Nyala and the west side areas from SAF HQ. After Fierce battles lasted for three whole days. the governor forms committee to collect the corpses of juvenile victims from the streets of the city". Twitter. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  29. ^ Ahmed, Gouja (18 April 2023). "The cautious calm in Nyala, the chaos of looting and theft continues. Looting the Nyala Crops Exchange and the Nyala Industrial Zone. Location is close to the Headquarters of Police leaders, Security Intelligence Nyala". Twitter. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  30. ^ Ahmed, Gouja (18 April 2023). "#Nyala Central Hospital has been completely out of service since 7:00 pm. 18April, due to missed of electricity supply and no generator fuel. The emergency services and the reception of injured civilians have shifted to Turkish Hospital South Nyala". Twitter. Retrieved 8 May 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  31. ^ Picheta, Jessie Yeung,Teele Rebane,Rob (18 April 2023). "Ceasefire crumbles amid chaos in Sudan as death toll reaches 270". CNN. Retrieved 8 May 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  32. ^ a b Network, Ayin (16 April 2023), Stuck in the crossfire: Civilians try to survive as conflict between security forces continues - Ayin network - شبكة عاين, retrieved 8 May 2023
  33. ^ Elbagir, Yousra (19 April 2023). "Darfur Monitors @qoga12: looting & attacks from armed militia men in Nyala, south Darfur. They are arriving from areas north of the city known to be home to Hemedti's close family like Um Al-Qurra & 7aloof. He says they are walking "step by step with the RSF."". Twitter. Retrieved 8 May 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  34. ^ Ahmed, Gouja (19 April 2023). "Citizens in Nyala, Al-Wadi East neighborhood, clutching two armed Militia's have white four-wheel- vehicle with stolen things, this evening of April 19". Twitter. Retrieved 8 May 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  35. ^ Lisa (21 April 2023). "New reports about fighting and looting in Darfur". Dabanga Radio TV Online. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  36. ^ "Sudan: Darfur Update - El Geneina Clashes Continue, Truce Holds in El Fasher, Looting in Nyala". Dabanga. 3 May 2023. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  37. ^ Ahmed, Gouja (20 April 2023). "Nyala Hospital has partially returned to work with the lack of water. There is a body north of the Nyala Mosque, which has begun to swell, and another body in front of Al-Abrar Clinic, on Cinema Street. Barricades were placed in most of the city's main roads and entrances". Twitter. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  38. ^ a b Lisa (21 April 2023). "New reports about fighting and looting in Darfur". Dabanga Radio TV Online. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  39. ^ Lisa (21 April 2023). "New reports about fighting and looting in Darfur". Dabanga Radio TV Online. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  40. ^ AA, Daily Sabah with (25 April 2023). "Turkish hospital in Darfur heals Sudanese amid ongoing conflict". Daily Sabah. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  41. ^ a b "Sudan: Darfur Update - El Geneina Clashes Continue, Truce Holds in El Fasher, Looting in Nyala". Dabanga. 3 May 2023. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  42. ^ a b "Sudan: West Darfur Clashes Leave 25 Dead, Prisoners Freed in Nyala, El Fasher and ED Daein". Dabanga. 27 April 2023. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
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