The Commissioner of Western Bahr el Ghazal State’s Raja County on Tuesday reported that some of the payams along the border with Sudan have been overrun by Sudan’s Rapid Support forces (RSF) who are now involved in exploiting mineral resources, especially gold.
The RSF, a Sudanese paramilitary outfit, and the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) have been involved in a war of attrition since 15 April 2023.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj from Raja County, Addison Arkangelo Musa said the areas under control include Radom, Kafia Kinji, Sungu, and Hofra Al Nahas. He said that the RSF occupied the areas in his county after defeating and ejecting the SAF from their positions across the border in Sudan.
“You know that the area of Kafia Kinji belongs to South Sudan and is in Western Bahr el Ghazal State’ Raja County, however, due to political-administrative issues, the area was remitting its administrative activities to Sudan’s South Darfur State,” he explained. “It is clear that this area has no connection with the South Darfur. We have areas like Radom, Sungu, and Hofra Al Nahas belonging to Raja County but during the ongoing conflict in Sudan, the Sudanese army controlled these areas. However, when they (SAF) withdrew from the areas, the RSF took control yet these areas belong to South Sudan”
Commissioner Musa added: “These areas have mineral resources used by the Sudan government before but now the RSF is in control and there is massive looting of minerals like gold, iron ore, and other resources.
He said the county authorities informed the state and national governments about the developments so that measures could be taken to reclaim the territories that belong to South Sudan.
However, when contacted, the SSPDF commander in Raja County, Brigadier General James Par Riek, denied the presence of RSF in the county.
“If the commissioner mentioned the areas of Radom and Kafia Kinji, these areas were under the control of Sudan, and in the areas we are controlling as SSPDF, we do not have such (occupation) reports,” he clarified. “Radom has always been under the control of Sudan Armed Forces and if the RSF are there, these are their problems in Sudan. In South Sudan, we control our areas, as you all know.”
Gen. Par added: “If there are some reports like that, we have a law that prohibits the entrance of armed forces into the country with weapons and if one of the groups fighting in Sudan comes to us in South Sudan, we take their guns from them and welcome them as civilians.”