January 11, 2023 (KHARTOUM) – The commander of Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) conceded defeat on Saturday in the strategic city of Wad Madani, urging his troops to regroup after the Sudanese army retook the Al Jazirah state capital. The army, along with allied fighters, recaptured Wad Madani after crossing the Hantoub Bridge. RSF forces had used the bridge to seize the city in late 2023 as part of a broader campaign that saw them gain control of much of Al Jazirah. In an audio recording posted on the RSF’s Telegram account, leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemetti, said his forces needed to “reorganize their ranks and review themselves.” While acknowledging the loss of Wad Madani, Hemetti vowed to recapture the city, emphasizing that the RSF had lost a battle but not the war. He claimed the RSF, which has been fighting for 21 months, was prepared to continue for 21 years. Hemetti attributed some of the setbacks to the impact of what he described as Iranian and other drones, adding that his forces, accustomed to raids by Ilyushin, Antonov, and MiG aircraft, were uniquely vulnerable to drone attacks. “No forces are waiting to be dropped with …

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