RSF launches massive security sweep in Nyala, imposing curfew and checkpoints.

The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) began a large‑scale security operation in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur, on Tuesday, deploying additional troops, armored vehicles and air support in what officials describe as a “crackdown” on insurgent activity. The mobilization, the biggest since the RSF seized the city in 2023, includes checkpoints on all major thoroughfares, house‑to‑house searches and a curfew that will remain in force for at least 48 hours. Local authorities say the move is aimed at dismantling armed groups that have been launching attacks on RSF convoys and disrupting supply lines, while residents report a sudden surge of armed personnel and a palpable atmosphere of tension throughout the city.

The RSF traces its roots to the Janjaweed militias that were employed by the Sudanese government during the War in Darfur in the early 2000s. In August 2013, the government formally reorganized these militias into a paramilitary structure under the command of Muhammad Dagalo, known as “Hemedti.” The force was initially presented as a rapid‑response unit for border security and counter‑insurgency, but over time it amassed significant combat capability and a reputation for harsh tactics, particularly against non‑Arab ethnic communities in Darfur and, more recently, against Arab groups perceived to support the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF).

Since the power struggle that erupted in April 2023, the RSF has been locked in a civil war with the SAF for control of Sudan’s political and economic centers. Both factions emerged from the 2021 coup that toppled the transitional government, and each now claims legitimacy over the state apparatus. In 2025 the RSF announced the formation of a parallel administration, the Government of Peace and Unity, in partnership with the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement‑North (SPLM‑N). The RSF’s claim to authority rests on its control of key towns such as Nyala, while the SAF continues to hold the capital, Khartoum, and several strategic oil‑producing regions. Negotiations mediated by the African Union have so far failed to produce a durable ceasefire, and both sides accuse each other of targeting civilians and committing war crimes.

International observers have highlighted the RSF’s external links as a factor that deepens the conflict. The United Arab Emirates has been repeatedly accused of providing covert financial assistance to the RSF, a claim that the Emirati government denies. In addition, the RSF has sourced weapons and fighters from neighboring Chad, where the government has reportedly turned a blind eye to cross‑border recruitment. The ongoing violence has spurred a humanitarian crisis, with the United Nations estimating that over 300,000 people have been displaced from South Darfur alone since the fighting intensified. Aid agencies warn that the latest crackdown could further restrict humanitarian access, compounding food insecurity and disease risk in an already vulnerable population.

The escalation in Nyala matters beyond Sudan’s borders. South Darfur sits on a corridor that links the Red Sea trade routes to the interior of the Horn of Africa, and renewed instability threatens to disrupt overland transport of goods, including essential commodities such as wheat and petroleum products. Neighboring countries, particularly Chad and Ethiopia, face the prospect of spill‑over violence and increased refugee flows, which could strain already fragile economies and heighten security concerns along porous frontiers. Moreover, the conflict draws attention from regional powers and international donors who must balance the urgency of humanitarian assistance with the risk of inadvertently legitimising armed groups. For the broader region, the RSF’s aggressive posture in Nyala underscores the fragility of Sudan’s political settlement and the potential for localized confrontations to ripple through trade, energy supply chains and diplomatic engagements across East Africa and the Red Sea basin.