On Tuesday morning, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) declared that they had taken control of the headquarters of the Sudanese army’s 21st Infantry Division in Zalingei, the capital of Central Darfur State.
They made the announcement through a video aired at 2:00 a.m. local time, which featured the RSF regional commander for Central Darfur, Major General Ali Yaqoub, confirming complete control over the division and the capture of 50 officers, including the division commander.
The RSF began their attack on Zalingei on Monday morning, advancing from multiple directions and launching artillery shelling at the army’s headquarters.
This fall of the base in Zalingei comes after the RSF recently took control of the 16th Infantry Division headquarters in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur.
Sudanese army units in Darfur are grappling with critical shortages in military supplies due to an RSF-imposed siege. Additionally, the army general command has failed to provide sufficient aerial coverage to thwart the RSF’s advances.
With the fall of West, South, and Central Darfur, the army retains a presence solely in Al-Fashir, the capital of North Darfur, and El Daein, the capital of East Darfur.