Sudanese Army, RSF clash near Al-Jili oil refinery amid escalating conflict

Fighting has erupted between the Sudanese Army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) near the al-Jili oil refinery, located north of the capital Khartoum.

The Sudanese Army reported on January 23 reaching the vicinity of the strategically important refinery on Wednesday, following a multi-pronged offensive in the northern part of Khartoum. Witnesses described plumes of smoke covering large areas of the capital, with footage circulating on social media showing the army seizing control of the entrance to the town.

The Sudanese army accused the RSF of deliberately setting fire to the refinery in an attempt to sabotage the country’s infrastructure, after failing to capture the region’s resources. The army, which has been launching a significant offensive towards the refinery, has yet to regain full control, according to Al Jazeera’s Hiba Morgan. Meanwhile, the RSF claimed the army launched airstrikes on the refinery in response to the ongoing conflict. Clashes were also reported in el-Fasher and Khartoum North, with both sides employing heavy weaponry.

Since the conflict began in April 2023, tensions between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo have led to widespread violence, leaving tens of thousands dead and displacing around 12 million people. The war has also caused a major humanitarian crisis, with over one million Sudanese fleeing to neighbouring South Sudan, many of whom are South Sudanese nationals who had previously fled their own country’s civil war. Meanwhile, South Sudan has suspended social media platforms in response to recent unrest linked to the killings of South Sudanese nationals in Sudan’s Gezira state.