(MENAFN) Sudan’s Transitional Sovereignty Council leader, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has directed national army units to advance into western Darfur to reclaim the region from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), according to a regional governor.

Darfur Governor Mini Arko Minnawi affirmed that under Burhan’s orders, forces would move westward “to liberate all Sudan, reaching the furthest point in Um Dafuq,” a town near the South Darfur border.

Addressing army personnel in Khartoum, Minnawi said, “No one can erase the traces of the crimes committed by the RSF leaders,” as reported by local media. He also dismissed RSF claims regarding the arrest of commander Abu Lulu—who was filmed targeting civilians in El-Fasher—as “a political theater that will not change the facts.”

As stated by reports, the Sudanese army shelled an RSF military installation in Nyala, South Darfur’s capital, on Tuesday, while the RSF had yet to comment on the incident.

Cairo has increased its involvement, with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty arriving in Sudan Tuesday to meet with government officials. Egypt is considered a key supporter of Sudan’s administration.

Earlier, on Oct. 26, the RSF captured El-Fasher, North Darfur’s capital, committing mass killings, according to local and international observers. Following this takeover, the RSF now controls all five western Darfur states, whereas the national army holds most areas in the other 13 states, including Khartoum.

Though Darfur accounts for roughly one-fifth of Sudan’s territory, the majority of the country’s population of 50 million resides in army-controlled regions.

Since April 15, 2023, the army and RSF have been engaged in an ongoing conflict that has resisted regional and international peace efforts, resulting in thousands of deaths and millions displaced.

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