What is the reason behind the conflict between the Sudanese Army and the “RSF” over the “Adri” crossing?

The Sudanese government, based temporarily in the coastal city of Port Sudan, announced its decision to extend the opening of the “Adri” border crossing with Chad to facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid to those in need, coordinating the operations of the crossing in collaboration with international organizations and UN agencies working in the humanitarian field.

However, the vital border crossing, located between the West Darfur state in Sudan and the Chadian city of Adri (after which the crossing is named), is effectively controlled by the “Rapid Support Forces” (RSF), which is at war with the army. It is one of three crossings along the 1,400-kilometer Sudanese-Chadian border to the west.

The head of the Sudanese Transitional Sovereign Council and army commander, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, tweeted on Wednesday that the Sudanese government “decided, based on the recommendation of the second humanitarian response forum and the higher committee for humanitarian affairs, to extend the opening of the Adri crossing starting from November 15, 2024.”

Earlier, the Sudanese authorities led by Burhan had agreed on August 15, 2024, to open the “Adri” crossing for three months, which was to end on Friday, in response to a Sudanese-UN agreement aimed at facilitating the entry of humanitarian supplies to the country, which is facing the threat of famine for nearly half of its population due to the ongoing war.

In contrast, the decision to open the crossing angered the RSF, which controls the crossing. A spokesman for the RSF described the decision as a “political maneuver” and as an attempt to cover up the army’s refusal to negotiate in Geneva at the time. The RSF also labeled it as “giving what they don’t own,” arguing that the crossing is under their control.

The Adri crossing is an economic and cultural link between Chad and the Darfur region of Sudan, and is crucial for bilateral trade between the two countries, as Chad is a landlocked country without seacoasts. It is also essential for the movement of populations and tribes shared between the two countries. The crossing plays an important role in facilitating the transport of humanitarian aid, being the only safe crossing between the two countries.

The issue surrounding the Adri crossing became more complex due to accusations from the Sudanese government that it serves as a route for the transportation of weapons and logistical supplies for the RSF from Chad, which the government accuses of supporting the RSF. However, the RSF counters that the border between Chad and Darfur is open and under their control, thus not requiring the use of “Adri” if the Sudanese army’s claims are true.

Nonetheless, the RSF insists on allowing humanitarian aid to enter through the Adri crossing on the Chadian border, while the Sudanese government maintains that other crossings exist, including those along the border with Egypt and South Sudan, as well as additional crossings along the Chadian border. Despite its strong suspicions about its use for non-humanitarian purposes, the government yielded to international and regional pressures.

Opening the crossing in August, according to the agreement with the UN, required the establishment of a “joint mechanism” to facilitate monitoring of the transported goods and to speed up the granting of permits for humanitarian aid convoys.