Sudan army repels RSF attack in West Darfur, governor says

Sudan's Darfur Governor Minni Minnawi announced on Saturday that army forces and allied fighters had repelled a major attack by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in the Bir Sleiba area of West Darfur, weeks after the strategic location was retaken from the RSF.

Governor's account of failed assault

Minnawi said on the US social media platform Facebook that the RSF had launched the assault with two mobile units, "believing they could catch our heroes off guard or break their resolve." He noted that the attacking forces were defeated, though he provided no details regarding casualties or material losses. "The battle is not for land, but for the freedom of the people," the governor added.

Strategic battles for Bir Sleiba

Bir Sleiba lies north of Al Junaynah, the capital of West Darfur, and holds strategic importance along the routes leading to the city. The area was retaken by the army and the Joint Force of Armed Struggle Movements in July following fierce battles, making it a recurring flashpoint between the warring sides. Members of the Joint Force circulated videos on social media purporting to show their control of Bir Sleiba and destroyed military vehicles they said belonged to the RSF, though the footage could not be independently verified.

Displacement crisis deepens

The International Organization for Migration reported Thursday that 6,650 people have been displaced from 11 villages in the Sirba locality of West Darfur because of worsening insecurity and clashes during the previous two days. The army controls Khartoum, Al Jazirah state and most areas of northern, eastern and central Sudan, although territorial control continues to shift as fighting approaches its third year. As of the end of June 2026, the International Organization for Migration had recorded about 8.69 million internally displaced people in Sudan, along with more than 4.64 million people who had returned to areas inside the country or from abroad.