A Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) unit, the Special Mission Force (SMF), announced via Telegram that clashes in southern Khartoum resulted in the deaths of at least 4,000 South Sudanese fighters associated with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The SMF, identified as an elite unit with ties to Islamist factions, stated that the casualties included members of “Tutkew’s forces” and supporters of South Sudanese militia leader Thomas Tel. Tut Gatluak, South Sudan’s presidential security advisor, is commonly referred to as “Tutkew.”
Details about the conflict’s specifics were not disclosed in the statement. Sudans Post attempted to contact Gatluak’s office for comment but received no immediate response.
The reported clashes add to escalating tensions in Sudan, with previous speculation linking Gatluak to the conflict. Allegedly, Gatluak had meetings with RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo and Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar shortly before violence erupted in April 2023.
Thomas Tel, also known as “Balat,” previously commanded South Sudanese mercenaries during an RSF attack on the Armored Corps in Khartoum last August. Tel, a South Sudanese national, had ties to General Paulino Matip Nhial prior to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).
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International bodies, including the United Nations, have expressed concern about potential spillage of violence into South Sudan. Recently, a senior RSF commander, Jibril Tap Gatjiek, was detained by South Sudan’s main opposition group, the Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLM-IO), while attempting to recruit fighters in Unity state on May 26.
