The Sudanese Rapid Support Forces announced today, Monday, that they have taken control of the airport west of the capital from the army. Oilfield workers reported that they were evacuated due to fighting as both sides resume talks in Saudi Arabia. The Rapid Support Forces stated that the army, which has been fighting against them since mid-April, had been using the Bilela airport in West Kordofan to launch warplanes. Workers at the Bilela oil field, which produces most of Sudan's scarce and dwindling oil, mentioned that they were evacuated last night due to the fighting.
Battles have erupted between the two sides in the cities of El Obeid and El Fasher in western Sudan in recent days, coinciding with the resumption of U.S. and Saudi-sponsored talks in Jeddah aimed at achieving a lasting ceasefire. The war has resulted in a massive humanitarian crisis, displacing nearly six million people, killing thousands, and causing destruction in the capital Khartoum, along with ethnically motivated killings in West Darfur.
The Rapid Support Forces, which are based in Darfur, are fighting to control the infrastructure and main roads in western Sudan in an attempt to halt army operations. Last week, the Rapid Support Forces claimed to have taken control of Nyala, the second-largest city in Sudan and the capital of South Darfur state. A resident of Nyala reported that the army continued its airstrikes, leveraging its main advantage in the war despite the Rapid Support Forces having seized their main base in the city. The Sudanese army and the Ministry of Oil have not responded to requests for comments.
