Al-Tina, March 16 (Darfur24)
Hundreds of Rapid Support Forces (RSF) fighters and dozens of combat vehicles have been mobilized in areas surrounding the border town of Al-Tina in North Darfur, raising fears of a new military assault on the strategic town near the Chadian border, according to local sources.
The sources said RSF forces gathered in Ad Al-Khair, Jarjira, Qadir, and Al-Adwiya—areas bordering West Darfur—while drones from both sides carried out aerial strikes in the vicinity.
Last February, Al-Tina witnessed intense fighting between the Sudanese army and allied joint forces on one side and the RSF on the other, after the paramilitary group attempted to seize the remaining army positions in the Darfur region.
Videos verified by Darfur24 showed RSF combat vehicles deployed in Jarjira and northwest of Kutum in North Darfur. Other footage showed burning military vehicles in a nearby valley.
An eyewitness reported that more than 60 RSF combat vehicles were seen in Ad Al-Khair, approximately 30 kilometers southeast of Al-Tina, with additional forces positioned in Jarjira and Qadir. He added that a drone believed to belong to the Sudanese army struck an RSF gathering in Wadi Sira.
Meanwhile, a source in the Chadian border city of Tine said the Chadian army has reinforced its presence along the border, tightened entry and exit procedures, and begun digging a trench along sections of the frontier.
Despite the heightened tensions, Sudanese refugees continue to cross into Chad, although vehicle and horse-cart traffic has been halted.
Mariam Osman, a volunteer in North Darfur, told Darfur24 that refugee movements toward Chad have increased in recent days, particularly among displaced families living in valleys east of Al-Tina. She added that more than 1,000 people are currently relying on meals provided by emergency kitchens amid severe shortages of food and drinking water.