Tensions are high in Zalingei, the capital of Sudan’s Central Darfur State, after limited skirmishes between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (SAF), residents said.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Monday afternoon, several residents in Zalingei said military forces have clashed with the paramilitary Repid Support Forces, causing fear and panic among the civilian population.
Abbas Al-Amin, a resident of Zalingei, said: “There was a heavy deployment of forces, and some skirmishes erupted, but they have stopped. After the skirmishes, the market was closed because people were scared, but the clashes stopped. The situation is now returning to normal.”
Meanwhile, a Zalingei resident who preferred anonymity said security tensions were running high on Monday morning after skirmishes erupted between the Sudanese army and the RSF forces in the area.
“The situation in the morning was difficult for us after Rapid Support Forces entered the city with vehicles and motorcycles. This has led to clashes between the two forces that continued for some time and then stopped,” she explained.
Tariq Juwaili, another resident, said: “I think RSF forces entered the city on Sunday with vehicles. Yes, there were some skirmishes between the army and the RSF, but no major clashes happened. Also, some RSF drones were seen flying over the city, prompting traders to close the market.”
SAF and RSF officials in the area could not immediately be reached for comment.
In Nyala, the capital of South Darfur State, cautious calm returned to the area after days of fighting that led to the capture of the city by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) last Thursday.
The war between the Sudanese military and the paramilitary group has entered its seventh month, causing days and nights of terror, loss and trauma for much of the country’s population.
An estimated 9,000 people have been killed and another 5.6 million forced to flee their homes during the conflict, according to the United Nations.