Nyala The Latest Fortified Stronghold in RSF Grip

Ali Ahmed

Nyala, the capital of South Darfur State, “Nyala Al-Buhair, west of Jubail” as Sudanese people like to refer to it with indulgence. It’s a city that is worthy of celebration for its splendor and beauty. Fierce battles took place there, between the Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces, since the beginning of the war.

The last three days prior to the RSF announcement of control over the capital of South Darfur state, and thus the entire state, on Thursday, the 26th of October, Nyala witnessed fierce battles between the warring sides, which ended in the fall of the 16 Infantry Division, that represents the command of the Western Military Region, and is the largest command of the Sudanese Army, second only to the General Command in Khartoum. It houses the largest military intelligence center – Regional and Tribal Sedition center- in the country.

For those who don’t possess the knowledge, the command of the 16 Infantry Division includes various important and strategic weapons, such as artillery, armored vehicles and corps of engineers. With the Rapid Support’s control over it, we can safely state that the entirety of South Darfur state has fallen and became under RSF control.

The state of South Darfur, in addition to its strategic importance, borders the State of South Sudan and the Central African Republic, as well as being of close proximity to the Chadian border. The airport of its capital, Nyala, is considered one of the largest airports in Sudan, adding an important strategic and economic dimension to the city that is considered the jewel of the entire western Sudan region.

Nyala’s fall under the grip of the Rapid Support Forces, which the “Blabesa groups _ those demanding military solution to the war” who didn’t dare attempt to deny and mislead public opinion, was confirmed by several -neutral- parties, one of which is the Darfur Lawyers Association _a local human rights group that is not in agreement with the Rapid Support Forces_ It provided confirmation according to its sources as well as eyewitnesses concerning the fall of the 16 Infantry Division leadership and the presence of the RSF deputy commander, Abdul Rahim Daglo, in the city, heading the military operations, prior his appearance addressing the public from within the walls of the division, announcing the fall of the Army’s last fortified stronghold.

In truth, this successive series of crushing defeats would not have struck (the head of) the army had it not been for the intransigence of its leadership, whose political and military decisions are controlled by “Al-Kizan”, who desire a return to power at any cost, seeking to reclaim “their seat” that is bathed in blood, strewn with body parts, and aromered with the scent of embalming death.

Death is an existential matter for them. They started the war. They lit that particular fire , and I wish they had been satisfied, but they are still immersed in their ignorance, preventing their “captured” Army commanders from going to negotiations, until they suffered terrible defeats, and then they told them to “Go ahead and procrastinate” until we rearrange our ranks again and return to this “losing” battle.

If it were not for these dogmatic mentalities Al-Kizan and the military alike possesses -sick mentalities of desires- and according to cognitive and psychological sciences, they are characterized by a kind of cognitive biases that makes them view their beliefs as the absolute truth, even if it is contrary to reality, and this is what is taking place at the moment. For when Nyala or the armored corps fall, Al-Kizan and their “children” on social media do not only deny the facts, but rather turn the truth upside down, making defeat into victory. They are psychologically disconnected from reality.

This psychological disconnection from truth and reality, is what made them refuse to take a seat at the Jeddah negotiations table, despite their substantial losses, and their reason for explaining the escape of the Army Commander, his deputy, and the Minister of Defense from the Army’s General Command -which signifies, in all available military sciences- a practical acknowledgment of defeat. Even though its a victory for the Army over (its enemy) according to their articulations.

The Army commanders fleeing the battlefield is a victory over the RSF, that is still besieging their rather empty headquarters but for some poor, deceived, deluded, and misguided officers and soldiers.
Courtesy of such dogmatic mentalities, Rapid Support Forces triumphed in reality and in “fiction”. And due to this psychological schizophrenia, the Army commanders and Al-Kizan at their back transformed this ancient and longstanding military institution into a “local joke and a global farce.”

It is that denial mentality that still paints RSF for the public to believe they exist solely in the homes of citizens, with no actual presence on the battlefield. when in reality RSF controls about 90% of the capital and most of the states of western Sudan “Dafur and Kordofan”, has a significant presence in the White Nile and Gezira states, as well as near the Northern and Nile River states.

Following the phase of Nyala’s fall, during which the army suffered significant casualties exceeding 2,000 deaths, the destruction of hundreds of military vehicles, the seizure of all remaining military equipment, and the capture of hundreds of soldiers and officers, and will soon include the seizure of the city of El-Fasher, where fierce battles are currently taking place. For there’s a likelihood senior commanders of the 16 Infantry Division will flee to El-Fasher, topping that list is Major General Hussein Jawdat.

I don’t believe that after the fall of Nyala, El-Fasher will require much time, as its garrison represents less than 5% of the 16 Infantry Division. Negotiations in Jeddah or elsewhere is a must at this point, whether the duration of the war is extended or shortened, and the Blabesa must remain silent after these successive defeats.

We learned from this war that denial means more defeats. As acknowledgment and reinforcement of the facts is the only way to spare the country significant losses and staunch the shedding of Sudanese blood Al-Kizan and their military group are squandering and selling falsely for a pittance.