Sudanese supporters of the armed popular resistance, which backs the army, in Gedaref, south-eastern Sudan. AFP
Sudanese supporters of the armed popular resistance, which backs the army, in Gedaref, south-eastern Sudan. AFP
Sudanese supporters of the armed popular resistance, which backs the army, in Gedaref, south-eastern Sudan. AFP
Sudanese supporters of the armed popular resistance, which backs the army, in Gedaref, south-eastern Sudan. AFP

Sudan's army aims to build on Khartoum victories but risks overextending


Hamza Hendawi
  • English
  • Arabic

Sudan’s army has declared it intends to build on recent battlefield successes in Khartoum by pushing on against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, its rival for control of the country, but experts warn that the army risks overextension in the vast regions west and south of the capital.

“The army has nothing to lose,” said Gen Yasser Al Atta, deputy chief of the armed forces, over the weekend after it secured a string of victories in Omdurman, part of the greater Khartoum area.

Gen Al Atta said the army was determined to drive the RSF out of Al Jazeera, the country's breadbasket region south of the capital that was captured by the paramilitary in December.

The army plans to later march on to the western city of Al Obeid to set up a base as a springboard for retaking cities in Darfur captured by the RSF last year, he said.

“Before that, our forces will attack Al Jazeera from a multitude of directions,” he vowed.

His comments come after the leader of the army, Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan, rejected a UN Security Council resolution adopted earlier this month that calls for a ceasefire in Sudan during Ramadan, which began on March 11.

Sudanese army chief General Abdel Fattah Al Burhan eats iftar in Omdurman following the army's gains against the RSF paramilitary on March 13. Screengrab
Sudanese army chief General Abdel Fattah Al Burhan eats iftar in Omdurman following the army's gains against the RSF paramilitary on March 13. Screengrab

Gen Al Burhan has meanwhile been trying to gain an edge in the war, going on the offensive in the capital and procuring arms from regional allies.

The sharp rise in the army's fortunes is a break from its generally poor performance in the war, which broke out in April last year.

In the opening stages of the conflict, the army lost most of the Sudanese capital to the RSF, including the city’s only international airport, the presidential palace, most of the armed forces’ sprawling headquarters and several army bases and military industrial complexes.

Up against the RSF, an agile and well-armed force of an estimated 100,000 combat-seasoned men, the army has relied heavily on air strikes, heavy artillery and, more recently, drones to attack the paramilitaries or repel their attempts to seize more sites in the capital and elsewhere in the vast Afro-Arab nation.

The army's bombardment of RSF positions in cities has earned it accusations of war crimes.

The RSF's capture of Wad Medani, Al Jazeerah’s biggest city, was a particularly heavy blow to the army because of its strategic location and the fact that the local garrison withdrew without a fight in circumstances yet to be explained by investigators.

However, troops and allied volunteers have made significant gains in recent days in Omdurman, capturing the national radio and television headquarters and driving out RSF fighters from nearby neighbourhoods.

The army, buoyed by the recent delivery of Iranian-made attack drones, is also engaged in intermittent fighting to defend a string of Nile-side cities south of Wad Medani that the RSF is trying to capture to consolidate its control of the region.

War of attrition

However, given the distances involved and a shortage of troops, the army could get bogged down in costly battles of attrition that are near-impossible to win, analysts warned.

“The army is trying to regain the trust and confidence of the population through its operations in Omdurman,” said Sami Saeed, a senior Sudan analyst at an inter-governmental, Europe-based think tank. “But the army remains largely incapable of launching large-scale operations in open territory.

“The gains made in Omdurman are limited in their scope and were carried out over weeks, not days. The army is now thinking of bigger operations elsewhere in the country but I think it’s better off making more gains in the capital to generate more popular support.”

Residents of Darfur, the RSF’s birthplace and power base, this week reported the movement of a large number of the paramilitary’s men and fighting vehicles towards Khartoum and Al Jazeera, apparently to bolster positions there against army attacks.

“Darfur is now left with a small number of RSF fighters,” said Hamdan Bareemah, an activist from west Darfur, near the border with Chad. “It’s a risk they seem to be comfortable taking.”

For its part, the army has been stepping up the recruitment of fighting-age male volunteers.

Ceremonies marking the completion of training by thousands of volunteers indicate that the recruitment drive has been accelerated to fulfil the army’s manpower needs as it prepares to regain more territory from the RSF.

However, many of the recruits are widely suspected to be Islamists who once served in militias associated with the 29-year regime of dictator Omar Al Bashir, toppled in 2019 by his generals amid a popular uprising.

That, in turn, has given a significant boost to the RSF’s long-standing claims that it was essentially fighting an army led by Al Bashir loyalists and supported by remnants of his regime’s hated militias.

Sudanese army troops in Omdurman, part of the greater Khartoum area. Reuters
Sudanese army troops in Omdurman, part of the greater Khartoum area. Reuters

Humanitarian cost

The war between the army and the RSF, led by Gen Mohamed Dagalo, broke out in April last year after weeks of tension over the details of Sudan’s democratic transition, particularly the future role of the military and associated paramilitaries.

About eight million people have been displaced by the war, which has destroyed the nation’s infrastructure and deepened ethnic and regional rifts. There are no figures for the killed and injured, but they are believed to be in the tens of thousands.

The UN says 18 million of Sudan's 48 million people are acutely food insecure, five million of whom have reached the last level before famine. The UN World Food Programme says less than 5 per cent of Sudanese can afford a full meal.

Much of the blame for abuses against civilians is directed at the RSF, which has been accused of committing large-scale offences against residents in Khartoum, including commandeering homes, looting, arbitrary arrests, torture and sexual attacks.

It is now facing similar accusations in Al Jazeera where, according to official figures, the population of four million had swelled by two million who took refuge there from Khartoum.

Since the RSF arrived there, 2.5 million left the entire region and another one million fled Wad Medani to find refuge elsewhere in Al Jazeera.

“The pain is excruciating and the fleeing was fraught with danger,” said Muqdad Ibrahim, a Wad Medani native who fled to Al Manaqel, another city in Al Jazeerah.

“Most of us lost our work and security. Our choice was either to stay put and die a slow death or flee into a world of uncertainty,” he said.

– – -

Al Shafied Ahmed reported from Kampala, Uganda.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

Pad Man

Dir: R Balki

Starring: Akshay Kumar, Sonam Kapoor, Radhika Apte

Three-and-a-half stars

THREE
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CONFIRMED%20LINE-UP
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What's in the deal?

Agreement aims to boost trade by £25.5bn a year in the long run, compared with a total of £42.6bn in 2024

India will slash levies on medical devices, machinery, cosmetics, soft drinks and lamb.

India will also cut automotive tariffs to 10% under a quota from over 100% currently.

Indian employees in the UK will receive three years exemption from social security payments

India expects 99% of exports to benefit from zero duty, raising opportunities for textiles, marine products, footwear and jewellery

Where to donate in the UAE

The Emirates Charity Portal

You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.

The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments

The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.

Al Noor Special Needs Centre

You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.

Beit Al Khair Society

Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.

Dar Al Ber Society

Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.

Dubai Cares

Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.

Emirates Airline Foundation

Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.

Emirates Red Crescent

On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.

Gulf for Good

Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.

Noor Dubai Foundation

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).

TOURNAMENT INFO

Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier

Jul 3- 14, in the Netherlands
The top two teams will qualify to play at the World T20 in the West Indies in November

UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (captain), Chamani Seneviratne, Subha Srinivasan, Neha Sharma, Kavisha Kumari, Judit Cleetus, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Heena Hotchandani, Namita D’Souza, Ishani Senevirathne, Esha Oza, Nisha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi

Greatest Royal Rumble match listing

50-man Royal Rumble - names entered so far include Braun Strowman, Daniel Bryan, Kurt Angle, Big Show, Kane, Chris Jericho, The New Day and Elias

Universal Championship Brock Lesnar (champion) v Roman Reigns in a steel cage match

WWE World Heavyweight ChampionshipAJ Styles (champion) v Shinsuke Nakamura

Intercontinental Championship Seth Rollins (champion) v The Miz v Finn Balor v Samoa Joe

United States Championship Jeff Hardy (champion) v Jinder Mahal

SmackDown Tag Team Championship The Bludgeon Brothers (champions) v The Usos

Raw Tag Team Championship (currently vacant) Cesaro and Sheamus v Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt

Casket match The Undertaker v Rusev

Singles match John Cena v Triple H

Cruiserweight Championship Cedric Alexander v Kalisto

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Dengue%20fever%20symptoms
%3Cp%3EHigh%20fever%20(40%C2%B0C%2F104%C2%B0F)%3Cbr%3ESevere%20headache%3Cbr%3EPain%20behind%20the%20eyes%3Cbr%3EMuscle%20and%20joint%20pains%3Cbr%3ENausea%3Cbr%3EVomiting%3Cbr%3ESwollen%20glands%3Cbr%3ERash%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MATCH INFO

Austria 2
Hinteregger (53'), Schopf (69')

Germany 1
Ozil (11')

heading

Iran has sent five planeloads of food to Qatar, which is suffering shortages amid a regional blockade.

A number of nations, including Iran's major rival Saudi Arabia, last week cut ties with Qatar, accusing it of funding terrorism, charges it denies.

The land border with Saudi Arabia, through which 40% of Qatar's food comes, has been closed.

Meanwhile, mediators Kuwait said that Qatar was ready to listen to the "qualms" of its neighbours.

The specs
 
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20NOTHING%20PHONE%20(2A)
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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T20 World Cup Qualifier

October 18 – November 2

Opening fixtures

Friday, October 18

ICC Academy: 10am, Scotland v Singapore, 2.10pm, Netherlands v Kenya

Zayed Cricket Stadium: 2.10pm, Hong Kong v Ireland, 7.30pm, Oman v UAE

UAE squad

Ahmed Raza (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Rameez Shahzad, Darius D’Silva, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Boota, Zawar Farid, Ghulam Shabber, Junaid Siddique, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Waheed Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Zahoor Khan

Players out: Mohammed Naveed, Shaiman Anwar, Qadeer Ahmed

Players in: Junaid Siddique, Darius D’Silva, Waheed Ahmed

BLACK%20ADAM
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Jaume%20Collet-Serra%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dwayne%20Johnson%2C%20Sarah%20Shahi%2C%20Viola%20Davis%2C%20Pierce%20Brosnan%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
War and the virus
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The biog

Name: Marie Byrne

Nationality: Irish

Favourite film: The Shawshank Redemption

Book: Seagull by Jonathan Livingston

Life lesson: A person is not old until regret takes the place of their dreams

HWJN
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Yasir%20Alyasiri%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Baraa%20Alem%2C%20Nour%20Alkhadra%2C%20Alanoud%20Saud%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Mission%3A%20Impossible%20-%20Dead%20Reckoning%20Part%20One
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Christopher%20McQuarrie%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Tom%20Cruise%2C%20Hayley%20Atwell%2C%20Pom%20Klementieff%2C%20Simon%20Pegg%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The Brutalist

Director: Brady Corbet

Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn

Rating: 3.5/5

BMW M5 specs

Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor

Power: 727hp

Torque: 1,000Nm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh650,000

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Mamo 

 Year it started: 2019 Founders: Imad Gharazeddine, Asim Janjua

 Based: Dubai, UAE

 Number of employees: 28

 Sector: Financial services

 Investment: $9.5m

 Funding stage: Pre-Series A Investors: Global Ventures, GFC, 4DX Ventures, AlRajhi Partners, Olive Tree Capital, and prominent Silicon Valley investors. 

 
Match info

Newcastle United 1
Joselu (11')

Tottenham Hotspur 2
Vertonghen (8'), Alli (18')

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Jetour T1 specs

Engine: 2-litre turbocharged

Power: 254hp

Torque: 390Nm

Price: From Dh126,000

Available: Now

Company Profile:

Name: The Protein Bakeshop

Date of start: 2013

Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani

Based: Dubai

Size, number of employees: 12

Funding/investors:  $400,000 (2018) 

Long read

Mageed Yahia, director of WFP in UAE: Coronavirus knows no borders, and neither should the response

Premier Futsal 2017 Finals

Al Wasl Football Club; six teams, five-a-side

Delhi Dragons: Ronaldinho
Bengaluru Royals: Paul Scholes
Mumbai Warriors: Ryan Giggs
Chennai Ginghams: Hernan Crespo
Telugu Tigers: Deco
Kerala Cobras: Michel Salgado

While you're here
Defence review at a glance

• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”

• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems

• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.

• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%

• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade

• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels

Some of Darwish's last words

"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008

His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.

2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups

Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.

Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.

Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.

Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).

Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.

Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.

Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.

Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.

THE BIO

Mr Al Qassimi is 37 and lives in Dubai
He is a keen drummer and loves gardening
His favourite way to unwind is spending time with his two children and cooking

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MATCH INFO

Manchester City 0

Wolves 2 (Traore 80', 90 4')

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The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

Four%20scenarios%20for%20Ukraine%20war
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The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

Updated: March 21, 2024, 6:22 AM`