Civilians also displaced as RSF enters Western Kordofan town of Meiram
AWEIL – Hundreds of Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) troops have surrendered to the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) in Northern Bahr el Ghazal state, following clashes with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the Western Kordofan State town of Meiram, local government officials say.
Angony Ateny, deputy mayor of Majok Yithiou Municipality in Aweil East County, told Sudans Post this afternoon that approximately 245 SAF soldiers have surrendered to SSPDF Brigades 15 and 16, located in Warguet and War Ayen respectively.
The senior local government official reported a large number of refugees and returnees displaced from the fighting in Meiram, which lies 60 kilometers north of the South Sudan border. He said over 100 refugees and more than 200 returnees have arrived in the area.
“There are returnees available on the ground who have been coming from Meiram from yesterday up to this morning and even before yesterday. There are returnees and refugees on the ground. We received about 100 and something refugees and more than 200 returnees,” he said.
According to Ateny, a total of over 245 SAF soldiers surrendered their guns in two different Aweil East County areas, with over 145 SAF soldiers surrendering at the SSPDF’s Brigade 16 headquarters in Warguet, and over 100 others surrendering at the Brigade 15 in War Ayen Boma.
“And for the forces, we received 245 including those who are wounded. They are from the Sudanese Armed Forces who were defeated by the Rapid Support Forces, and they reached our location this morning and some are still on the way coming,” he said, indicating that the soldiers all surrendered their weapons peacefully.
“About 100 something is now in Majok and 145 in Warguet. They have already been disarmed after they reached our forces. They are not violent, and they are actually handing over their guns, and peacefully. They were being received by our forces and are now in our brigades 15 [in War Ayen] and [brigade] 16 [in Warguet] headquarters,” Ateny explained.
Multiple sources speaking to Sudans Post in Aweil East also indicate that additional SAF troops may be scattered in locations beyond Meiram. These include forested areas near the East Darfur border with Northern Bahr el Ghazal, as well as areas south of Meiram in West Kordofan.
South Sudan army spokesman Major-General Lul Ruai Koang declined to comment on the situation, directing inquiries to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation over sensitivity of the matter.
“I will not comment on that issue. You should contact the ministry of foreign affairs and international cooperation because that one is a sensitive issue that is encroaching on territories of other people. So, I will not comment,” he said.
The clashes stem from escalating tensions between the SAF and RSF in various parts of Sudan. Meiram, previously under SAF control, is now under RSF control. The city is home to the SAF’s 92nd Brigade, which belongs to the 22nd Infantry Division headquartered in Babanusa, the West Kordofan State’s second largest city after El Fulla which also fall to the RSF on June 20.
SAF typically structures brigades with three battalions. This suggests that additional forces from Meiram may arrive in South Sudan in the coming hours or days.
The RSF first entered Meiram last week without resistance. Local civilian authorities attempted to mediate a handover of the city to the RSF, but the SAF refused, sparking clashes that culminated in the RSF taking over the town and brigade headquarters this morning.
The RSF has also been expanding its presence in Eastern Sudan. On June 30, they seized control of Sinja, the capital of Sennar State, which houses the SAF’s 17th Infantry Division. They subsequently captured nearby brigades and towns, including Karjok, Dinder, and Mazmoum. The RSF is now only 34 kilometers from the nearest town in Blue Nile State, which is largely their last target.