The Sudanese army accused troops loyal to eastern Libyan military commander Khalifa Haftar of launching an attack on its border positions on Tuesday, the first time Sudanese army officials has publicly acknowledged direct military action by its northwestern neighbor in the ongoing conflict.
The attack took place north of al-Fashir, the capital of North Darfur, in the border triangle shared by Libya, Egypt and Sudan, according to a statement from the army. The army also accused the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of involvement.
Sudan has previously accused Haftar of aiding the RSF through arms supplies early in the war. The government has also repeatedly alleged that the United Arab Emirates, a known Haftar ally, was supporting the RSF, including most recently through drone strikes last month; the UAE continues to deny these claims.
Egypt, which supports Haftar also, has continued to support the Sudanese army.
In its statement, the army stressed its determination to defend its territorial integrity: “We will defend our country and national sovereignty and we will prevail no matter the extent of the plot and aggression supported by the United Arab Emirates and its militias in the region.”
Haftar’s forces have yet to respond to the accusation.