The Joint Force of Armed Movements, signatories to the Juba Peace Agreement and fighting alongside the Sudanese army, said in a statement: "We proudly and honorably announce the liberation of the strategic city of Dabaibat in Kordofan region from the grip of the Rapid Support Forces militias."
Located 186 kilometers from the state capital, Kadugli, Dabaibat is a strategic city, linking South Kordofan to North Kordofan and East Darfur states. Controlling Dabaibat would also pave the way for lifting the siege on Dilling, which lies 60 kilometers away and is the second largest city in South Kordofan.
The statement added: "This great achievement came as a result of a precise and coordinated military operation carried out by the joint force in cooperation with the Sudanese Armed Forces, inflicting heavy losses on the enemy in lives and equipment." It indicated that the liberation of Dabaibat and the full control over it represent a "decisive step" towards restoring security and stability in the Kordofan region (three states), and a "central step" for expanding military operations in the Darfur region (five states).
Members of the Sudanese army broadcast video clips on social media announcing their entry into Dabaibat and the "defeat" of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
"political blackmail"
In a related development, the Khartoum government on Friday denounced US allegations that Sudan used chemical weapons during the ongoing war in the country, describing them as "baseless accusations" and "political blackmail."
"The Sudanese government is following with strong condemnation the accusations and decisions issued by the US administration, which are characterized by political blackmail and distortion of facts regarding the situation in Sudan," Information Minister Khaled al-Aiser said in a statement.
On Thursday, Washington announced it would impose sanctions on Sudan for its use of chemical weapons in the country's ongoing war. The US State Department said in a statement that the sanctions will take effect next month and include restrictions on US exports to Sudan and access to US government credit lines.
Al-Aiser, the government spokesman, accused the United States of "persisting for many years in pursuing policies that obstruct the Sudanese people's path toward stability, peace, and prosperity." He continued, "Today, the same allegations return with baseless accusations of the use of chemical weapons, while Washington remains silent regarding documented crimes against civilians in Darfur and other areas."
He stressed that "this false narrative, which the US administration is seeking to promote internationally, is nothing more than a new attempt to mislead public opinion and provide political cover for parties that have lost their legitimacy and are implicated in committing crimes against the Sudanese people."
He added, "While the Sudanese people and their government are aware of the dimensions of this ongoing political blackmail, they affirm that what we are witnessing at the present stage is nothing but a repetition of previous mistakes in the US administration's handling of Sudan's issues."
Since mid-April 2023, the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have been waging a war that has left more than 20,000 dead and approximately 15 million displaced and refugees, according to the United Nations and local authorities. A study by American universities estimated the death toll at approximately 130,000.
For weeks, the Rapid Support Forces' control over Sudan's states has been rapidly shrinking in favor of the army. The latter's victories have expanded in the capital, Khartoum, including the seizure of the presidential palace, the surrounding ministries, the airport, and security and military headquarters.
In Sudan's other seventeen states, the Rapid Support Forces now control only parts of North Kordofan and West Kordofan states, pockets in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states, and four states in Darfur.
