Fighting broke out between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) early on Monday morning around the SAF’s Twentieth Infantry Division headquarters in Al-Daein Town in East Darfur State.

According to a military source who preferred anonymity, there were a large number of dead bodies from both sides in the vicinity of the army command.

“For the last three days, the RSF have besieged the military command, located south of the city of El Daein, the capital of East Darfur State, from all directions,” he said.

The RSF also shut off the water pipes supplying the military headquarters a few days ago and gave a condition that the army garrison surrender and join the ranks of the RSF or quietly withdraw from the town using a prescribed route.

Efforts to mediate between the two warring parties led by Rizeigat Paramount Chief Saeed Madibo have been ongoing for the last four days so that the town would be spared of violence and destruction.

The mediators appealed to the SAF leaders in the town to withdraw as their counterparts in South Darfur State did, to avert fighting.

A member of the local administration in the town, Issa Hamed, told Radio Tamazuj that the clashes started early in the morning with the army attacking the positions of the RSF who have laid siege on the army headquarters.

“Fighting occurred and now all the leaders of Al-Daein are inside the market and they are accompanied by the Reizigat Chief Madibo and they are there to prevent looting and theft and protect the market,” he said.

El Daein town has been an island of stability since the war erupted in Khartoum on 15 April and spread to other parts of Sudan.