The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) announced that they had seized full control of Abu Gamra, a town in North Darfur’s Karnoi locality. The takeover followed reports that Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) fighters loyal to Tahir Hajar defected from Abu Gamra and joined Minni Arko Minawi’s forces.
Video footage showed RSF forces firmly establishing their presence, with a commander urging residents to reopen shops and promising their safety. Abu Gamra had previously been controlled by the Sudan Liberation Forces Alliance under Tahir Hajar, a member of the Sudan Constituent Alliance.
Hajar’s force consisted of 31 combat vehicles, but internal disputes caused roughly 200 men to defect to Minawi’s SLM faction. Another group reportedly joined the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) led by Gibril Ibrahim, part of a joint force near Karnoi in northwest El Fasher.
Seven vehicles under a commander named Mohammedin refused to align with any faction, later returning with RSF personnel to take the town peacefully. The RSF now controls most of North Darfur, with forces reportedly amassing near Tina, preparing to seize remaining army-held areas in the region.
Abu Gamra is strategically vital, connecting Kabkabiya, Kutum, Al-Sareef Bani Hussein, Saraf Omra, Karnoi, and Tina, making it key for regional dominance. A Sudanese military source warned that RSF control of Abu Gamra poses a direct threat to Karnoi and Tina, prompting intensive defensive preparations.
The RSF currently dominates most of North Darfur, except Tawila, held by Abdel Wahid al-Nur’s SLM, and El Fasher, still under SAF control despite a long siege.
