The border between Sudan and the Central African Republic was closed on Tuesday after a deadly attack on Sudanese civilians triggered a tense military standoff near the town of Um Dafuq.
Security tensions rose after Russian forces and allied local fighters deployed heavily on the Central African side of the frontier, while the Rapid Support Forces reinforced positions on the Sudanese side of Um Dafuq.
Ahmed al-Tahir, a resident of Sudan’s Um Dafuq, told Darfur24 that the escalation followed the killing of a Sudanese citizen inside Central African Republic territory on Monday. He said other Sudanese nationals were also attacked while travelling to local markets across the border by local fighters linked to Russian forces.
The killing sparked angry gatherings in Um Dafuq, where relatives of the victims threatened to attack the Central African side of the border town, raising fears of a wider confrontation.
Witnesses and local sources said Russian forces sent large numbers of fighters into the border area, while heavy weapons fire and gunfire were heard in the direction of Sudanese Um Dafuq.
RSF units deployed along the Sudanese side of the border but did not return fire after local tribal leaders intervened to contain the situation and prevent it from escalating into a broader clash, the sources said.
The incident came one day after two Sudanese traders were killed and four others wounded in the Tarfeela area inside the Central African Republic. Survivors accused Russian forces and allied local fighters of carrying out the attack.
Neither Central African Republic authorities nor Russian representatives have issued an official comment on the accusations.
The Sudan-Central African Republic border has seen repeated security tensions in recent months amid the spread of Russian forces fighting alongside the CAR government. Sudanese traders and herders operating in the border zone have repeatedly reported attacks, restrictions and intimidation by armed groups active in the area.
The latest closure threatens to deepen insecurity along a frontier that remains vital for local trade, livestock movement and civilian travel between Darfur and the Central African Republic.
