Wad Madani: Panic Among Militias and Unannounced Army Progress

The Sudanese army has kept its military operations in the Wad Madani area, the capital of Al-Jazeera State, under strict secrecy. Despite two weeks passing since the start of the operation to liberate the city of Wad Madani, what has been leaked to the media is only a small part of what is actually happening on the ground.

Informed sources told Asda’a Sudanese that the army applied the same strategy used to liberate the city of Singa in Wad Madani. The liberation of Singa surprised many Sudanese, and the same thing is happening and will continue in Wad Madani.

In reality, according to analysis of the events and testimonies from sources, the army is closer to Wad Madani than what has been reported on social media platforms. Activists on social media have claimed that the army is stationed at the last point near the city, near the 91 Bridge, southwest of Wad Madani. However, the truth is that the army passed this point days ago, a fact overlooked by many.

The situation inside the capital of Al-Jazeera, as per recent updates, is not going as the militias would like. In the past two weeks, tribal militia groups have been retreating, and there have been clashes between the Rizeigat and the Messeriya tribes over how to confront the army. Sources speaking to Asda’a Sudanese reported that last week the militias faced their worst nightmares, with dozens killed in clashes between groups trying to withdraw from Wad Madani and those who tried to block their retreat.

The situation in Wad Madani, according to sources speaking to the newspaper, is worsening with each passing day, with expectations of the militias’ collapse before the army reaches the city.

In the south of Wad Madani, fighting is ongoing in the Haj Abdullah area, where the army has seized control of several villages, with expectations of the militias collapsing at any moment.

These developments were expressed by Sudanese Shield leader Abu Aqila Kikil, who said the army would enter Wad Madani in the next two days. Kikil made this statement to a popular gathering in the Jabal al-Ghar area in the Sahl al-Batana, confirming to his audience that the upcoming visit would be from inside Wad Madani.

These developments prompted the former governor of Al-Jazeera, Mohamed Taher Ella, to break his silence and announce the imminent liberation of Wad Madani via a tweet, pledging to visit the city at the earliest opportunity.

This strategy followed by the Sudanese army has placed the militias under siege, where they no longer know of any gaps to fill. This situation has caused internal conflicts and tensions, creating panic within their ranks, which became evident when they fled from facing the army.

As of today, no one knows the exact operational status in the Al-Jazeera region, especially in the Wad Madani sector, due to the army’s policy of complete secrecy. However, observers predict positive developments in the situation in Wad Madani, noting that the date the army announced the liberation of Singa was actually two days after it had already occurred. The same is expected to happen in Wad Madani because the army does not announce the liberation of a city at the same time it occurs. Instead, it happens after wide-scale securing and clearing operations to completely remove the threat from the city.

Accordingly, what is currently happening inside Wad Madani is not fully known. Therefore, according to observers, all news circulating about Wad Madani, including overly optimistic reports, are likely to happen in the absence of any concrete information.

The army’s media policy in dealing with the Wad Madani front is expected to bear fruit soon, according to experts, leading to the liberation of Al-Jazeera state. They indicate that Sudanese people will one day wake up to the news of Wad Madani’s liberation, a development they may not expect.