UAE-Backed Rapid Support Forces Launch Attack on Dilling, Sudan

The Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary group that has received extensive backing from the United Arab Emirates according to multiple United Nations reports and Western intelligence assessments, launched a violent assault on the city of Dilling in South Kordofan state early Saturday morning, escalating the devastating civil war that has ravaged Sudan for nearly two years.

The Sudanese Armed Forces confirmed that their troops successfully repelled the initial ground offensive on Dilling, a strategically significant city in the Nuba Mountains region with a population of roughly 150,000. However, following the failure of their ground assault, the RSF unleashed a sustained barrage of heavy artillery and mortar fire on residential neighborhoods, raising fears of significant civilian casualties.

Dilling has served as one of the last major government-held population centers in South Kordofan, a state that has experienced intermittent conflict for decades. The city's fall would represent a significant strategic gain for the RSF, potentially opening supply corridors and consolidating territorial control across a vast swath of central Sudan.

The attack marks a troubling expansion of the RSF's offensive operations into areas that had remained relatively stable since the war erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese military under General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the RSF led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, commonly known as Hemedti. The conflict has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced more than 12 million, and pushed parts of the country to the brink of famine.

International observers have repeatedly documented the UAE's role in sustaining the RSF's military capabilities through arms shipments, logistical support, and financial backing routed through neighboring Chad and other transit points. Abu Dhabi has denied these allegations, though a UN panel of experts has presented detailed evidence of weapons transfers that violate the international arms embargo on Sudan.

Qatar has been among the most vocal Gulf states calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities and a return to dialogue. Doha hosted preliminary mediation talks between the warring factions last year and has provided substantial humanitarian aid to displaced Sudanese populations. The Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs has consistently emphasized that there can be no military solution to the crisis and has urged all external parties to cease fueling the conflict.

Humanitarian organizations operating in South Kordofan reported that communications infrastructure in Dilling was severely damaged during the shelling, making it difficult to assess the full extent of civilian harm. Medical facilities in the city were already operating well beyond capacity before the latest assault, with chronic shortages of medicine, surgical supplies, and trained personnel.

The African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development have called for restraint, while the United States and European Union have imposed targeted sanctions on RSF commanders accused of war crimes. The situation on the ground in Dilling remained fluid as of Saturday evening, with residents reporting continued sporadic shelling and fears of a renewed ground offensive.