Khartoum: A Sudanese grassroots committee has accused the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of committing killings, intimidation, and abuses against civilians after entering the town of Kulbus in West Darfur. The RSF's incursion followed clashes with the Sudanese army and the allied Joint Force of armed movements, which subsequently positioned themselves outside the area.

According to Anadolu Agency, the Resistance Committees of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state, issued a brief statement asserting that the RSF had "entered Kulbus, taken control of it, and continued its usual practices of intimidation, killing, and violations of innocent civilians." Local sources reported that the RSF launched a significant assault on Kulbus with a sizeable force at dawn on Friday, overtaking the town that the army had controlled since last week.

The sources further disclosed that army troops and the Joint Force were positioned west of Kulbus, indicating that the Joint Force had attacked RSF fighters upon their entry, resulting in casualties before their subsequent withdrawal. Videos circulated by RSF members claimed that they had successfully "taken control of Kulbus." As of 1610GMT, there was no official response from the Sudanese army or the allied Joint Force.

The strategic positioning of Kulbus, located near the border with Chad and about 160 kilometers (99 miles) from El Geneina, the capital of West Darfur state, underscores the significance of this development. The recent clashes in Kulbus follow a pattern of advances by the Sudanese army and allied forces in North and West Darfur.

In the broader context, the RSF controls five of Sudan's 18 states, specifically in the Darfur region, while the Sudanese army maintains control over the majority of the remaining states, including the capital, Khartoum. The ongoing conflict, rooted in disagreements over the integration of the military establishment, has exacerbated Sudan's humanitarian crisis, resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands and the displacement of approximately 13 million people.