Adel Abdel Rahim / Anadolu

The Joint Force of armed movements allied with the Sudanese army announced on Wednesday the recapture of the Orshi Dam area in North Darfur state (west) after battles with the Rapid Support Forces.

The Orshi Dam area holds humanitarian and field importance, as it is a main water source for Umbaru locality, which suffers from water scarcity, in addition to its location within the combat zone northwest of North Darfur state, making control over it influential on population movement and the arrival of aid and supplies.

The Joint Force said in a brief statement: 'Your joint forces were able, this morning (Wednesday), to launch a surprise attack on the Orshi Dam area, and it culminated in imposing full control over the area and expelling the Rapid Support militia.'

The force published on its official Facebook page video clips that it said show its elements deployed in the area.

No comment was issued by the Rapid Support Forces as of 16:33 GMT.

On June 15 last, field commanders in the Rapid Support Forces announced their control over the Orshi Dam belonging to Umbaru locality, following an attack they launched on the area the previous day.

At the time, the Popular Resistance in North Darfur said the attack resulted in the deaths of 5 civilians and the burning and looting of 8 villages around the dam, in addition to the displacement of thousands of residents to neighboring areas.

The Governor of the Darfur region, Mini Arko Minawi, accused the Rapid Support Forces of committing violations against civilians, calling on the international community and humanitarian and human rights organizations to move to protect them.

Out of the country's 18 states, the Rapid Support Forces control the five Darfur states in the west, except for parts of North Darfur state that remain under the control of the army, which imposes its influence on most of the remaining 13 states, including the capital Khartoum.

The humanitarian suffering in Sudan is worsening due to the war between the army and the Rapid Support Forces, which erupted in April 2023 over a disagreement on the unification of the military institution, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths and the displacement of 13 million people.