War in Sudan: town of Nyala at the heart of clashes between al-Burhan and Hemedti

Negotiations continue in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to try to reach an agreement on a ceasefire and the delivery of humanitarian aid to Darfur, in eastern Sudan. But on the ground as at the negotiating table, Generals Hemedti and al-Burhan seem unwilling to give up.

Until now, the rare truces obtained by negotiators have never lasted more than a few days. Since the resumption of discussions on Thursday October 26 in Saudi Arabia, the fighting has not stopped in Darfur. The town of Nyala is at the heart of clashes between the Rapid Support Forces (FSR) of General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, known as Hemedti, and those of General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.

Nyala, a former commercial crossroads town in the region, is a key town in the control of South Darfur, not far from the Central African Republic and South Sudan. According to residents, the city is now controlled by the FSR, who patrol the neighborhoods using hundreds of armored vehicles.

The takeover of Nyala would be an important step forward in the RSF offensive on Darfur. The city indeed has an airport, which would allow for faster resupply of General Hemedti’s troops.

Finally, controlling such a region would give greater weight to the FSR at the negotiating table. According to observers, this is therefore an important step in the conflict currently taking place which could make the successful conclusion of discussions in Saudi Arabia even more difficult .