Sudan army accuses Libya’s Haftar of joint border attack

Port Sudan – Sudan’s army on Tuesday accused forces loyal to eastern Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar of launching a cross-border attack alongside Sudanese paramilitaries, the first accusation of direct Libyan involvement in the country’s ongoing war.

In a statement, army spokesman Nabil Abdallah said the assault took place on Tuesday in the remote area where the borders of Sudan, Libya and Egypt meet.

Sudan has been gripped by more than two years of war between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The Sudanese Armed Forces (#SAF) report that the #RSF, backed by Libya’s #LNA, have launched an offensive on Sudanese border posts. The SAF claim the offensive aims to seize control of the strategic tri-border region shared by Sudan 🇸🇩, Egypt 🇪🇬, and Libya 🇱🇾. https://t.co/CmIXPn38zA pic.twitter.com/dzvYjMdZLg

— Rich Tedd 🛰 ✈️ (@AfriMEOSINT) June 10, 2025

Abdallah added that Haftar’s troops, in coordination with the RSF, attacked its border positions in a move it called a “blatant aggression against Sudan” aimed at seizing control of the tri-border region.

There was no immediate response from Haftar’s forces.

The RSF has not issued an official statement, but a source within the group told AFP that its fighters had taken control on Monday of the entrance to Jebel Uweinat, a remote mountain area that sits where the three countries meet.

The Sudanese army has vowed to “defend the country and its national sovereignty”, describing the latest border clash as part of a broader foreign-backed conspiracy.

Haftar, who commands eastern Libya, has long maintained close ties with both the United Arab Emirates and Egypt.

While Cairo has supported Sudan’s leadership under army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan since the outbreak of conflict in April 2023, Khartoum has repeatedly accused the UAE of backing the RSF – claims the Emirati government denies.

Sudan’s army-aligned foreign ministry accused the UAE of backing the assault, describing it as a “dangerous escalation” and a “flagrant violation of international law”.

“Sudan’s border with Libya has long served as a major corridor for weapons and mercenaries supporting the terrorist militia, funded by the UAE and coordinated by Haftar’s forces and affiliated terrorist groups,” it said in a statement.

today, RSF + Haftar’s forces (with 🇦🇪’s support ofc) attacked the Sudanese Army’s border points in the border triangle between Sudan, Egypt and Libya, with the aim of seizing control of the area#KeepEyesOnSudan

🇦🇪 planning to open a new front to drag Sudan into a regional war? https://t.co/ZmXAVsLdxS pic.twitter.com/3wgEhFxv38

— roza 🌱🌺 | 📌 (@missinchident) June 10, 2025

Tensions between Khartoum and Abu Dhabi escalated in May after drone strikes hit the wartime capital of Port Sudan for the first time since the war began. After the attacks, Sudan severed its diplomatic ties with the UAE and declared it an “aggressor state”.

Efforts by international mediators to halt the fighting have so far failed, with violence continuing to escalate across the western Darfur region and the Kordofan region in the country’s south.

Source: AFP