Sudanese Army Retreats from Strategic Border Zone Amid Accusations of Cross-Border Attacks by Haftar and RSF
The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have retreated from a key strategic area near the Sudan–Libya–Egypt border, citing a wave of coordinated cross-border assaults allegedly orchestrated by Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar’s forces in collaboration with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The incident marks a sharp escalation in Sudan’s already volatile civil war and raises serious concerns about deepening regional entanglements.
The SAF announced on Tuesday that it had vacated positions in the sensitive “triangle border” area near al-Fashir, North Darfur, in what it described as a tactical withdrawal. According to Sudanese military officials, the move came in response to recent attacks launched from across the Libyan border by Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA), allegedly working alongside the RSF.
A Sudanese army spokesperson stated that “enemy forces” had used Libyan territory as a staging ground for incursions into Sudanese land and for the smuggling of weapons to RSF units.
The SAF claims the attacks were supported logistically by external actors, namely the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a country long suspected of backing both Haftar and RSF factions.
The Libyan National Army, led by General Haftar, swiftly denied the accusations, claiming instead that it was Libyan patrol units that were targeted by Sudanese forces.
Meanwhile, the UAE also rejected Sudan’s claims, calling them baseless and politically motivated.
This standoff reflects the deepening fault lines in the region, where Sudan’s civil war is increasingly drawing in regional powers with competing interests.
Egypt, which supports both the Sudanese military and Haftar’s LNA, has yet to issue a public statement but remains a critical actor in the evolving situation.
Control of the Sudan–Libya–Egypt triangle is of strategic importance. The area not only provides access to smuggling routes but also serves as a potential corridor for arms and personnel movement between factions.
The Sudanese military’s claim that weapons are being funneled through Libya to RSF fighters could, if substantiated, further strain relations between Khartoum and Tripoli—and implicate international partners in Sudan’s civil conflict.
The RSF, led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), has been engaged in a brutal war with the SAF since April 2023. The conflict has displaced millions and left tens of thousands dead. As the SAF fights to hold key urban centers such as Port Sudan and al-Fashir, the possibility of a sustained RSF offensive bolstered by cross-border support could drastically alter the war’s trajectory.
Military analysts suggest that the SAF’s retreat may be temporary and designed to avoid encirclement or ambush in the border zone. However, by ceding ground in such a high-value area, the army risks allowing the RSF and its alleged backers to entrench themselves even further along the northern and western supply corridors.
With both the RSF and LNA now seemingly at the center of Sudan’s border crisis, international attention is likely to increase. The SAF may seek condemnation of the attacks through regional bodies such as the Arab League or the African Union, while further diplomatic pressure could mount on the UAE and Egypt for their perceived roles.
The withdrawal of the Sudanese army from the Libyan border triangle is more than just a tactical move—it’s a reflection of the shifting dynamics in a conflict that continues to spill beyond Sudan’s borders.
As outside forces allegedly deepen their involvement, the war risks becoming not just a national crisis but a regional powder keg.
