EL GENEINA – Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces RSF claims control of Al-Tina border, a vital commercial and humanitarian gateway along Sudan’s western frontier with Chad. The announcement, issued early on Sunday 22 February 2026, signals a sharp escalation in the battle over Darfur’s shrinking supply corridors and has heightened fears for one of the last remaining routes used by international aid agencies.
In a statement circulated alongside social media footage showing fighters celebrating at the town’s administrative complex, the Rapid Support Forces, led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, said they had “liberated” Al-Tina from the Sudanese Armed Forces and allied Joint Forces. The Sudanese Armed Forces, commanded by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, have yet to confirm a withdrawal and have contested the RSF narrative.
Al-Tina is more than a tactical prize. For decades it has functioned as a historic marketplace and a transit hub linking communities on both sides of the border. It is particularly significant to the Zaghawa people, whose kinship networks span Sudan and Chad and whose economic life depends heavily on cross-border trade. Control of the town carries both symbolic and practical consequences for the wider region.
A Contested Advance
Military sources aligned with the Sudanese army indicated that the RSF launched what they described as a surprise, drone-supported assault late on Saturday. While the RSF claims to have secured key installations, pro-army accounts maintain that clashes are ongoing on the outskirts of the town and along feeder routes leading deeper into North Darfur.
Minni Minnawi, Governor of Darfur and a prominent figure within the Joint Forces allied to the army, condemned the incursion as a “criminal act” against a population already enduring displacement and hunger. In a statement released through local channels, Minnawi said the attack had placed civilians in immediate danger and further destabilised an already fragile humanitarian situation.
Independent verification remains difficult. Communications across much of Darfur are intermittent, and both sides have relied heavily on partisan media outlets and social media platforms to advance competing narratives. Residents contacted by phone from across the border in Chad reported heavy gunfire through Saturday night, followed by intermittent shelling on Sunday morning.
Aid Routes Under Threat
If the RSF consolidates its hold on Al-Tina, it would significantly expand its leverage over land corridors linking Darfur to eastern Chad. For aid agencies operating in a region where aerial access is limited and roads are frequently cut by fighting, the Al-Tina crossing has served as a crucial logistical artery.
Médecins Sans Frontières has recently reported treating dozens of civilians wounded in drone strikes and artillery fire in parts of North Darfur. Relief officials warn that any prolonged disruption to cross-border movement would complicate the delivery of food, medical supplies and emergency shelter to communities already facing acute shortages.
The United Nations has repeatedly described western Darfur as one of the most severe humanitarian crises in the world. Investigators have previously cited patterns of violence that bear what they called the hallmarks of ethnic persecution. With much of the region contested or under RSF influence, towns such as Al-Tina have taken on heightened importance as staging points for both aid convoys and civilian flight.
“Control of the border is no longer just about territory,” said a regional political analyst based in N’Djamena, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation. “It is about regulating the flow of food, medicine and people. If Al-Tina becomes a sustained battleground, the humanitarian impact will be immediate and severe.”
Cross-Border Tensions
The fighting has also raised concerns in Chad, where security officials are monitoring developments along the frontier. Chadian security sources, speaking to regional media, suggested that exchanges of fire may have crossed into Chadian territory during the initial stages of the RSF advance. Those reports could not be independently confirmed, and authorities in N’Djamena have not issued a formal casualty statement.
Previous episodes of cross-border pursuit and misdirected fire have strained relations between Khartoum’s rival factions and neighbouring governments. Any perception that armed units are operating beyond Sudanese territory risks widening a conflict that has already displaced millions.
As of Sunday evening, the situation in and around Al-Tina remained fluid. The RSF said it had begun securing administrative buildings and restoring basic services, including water facilities. Residents on the Chadian side of the border, however, described a skyline darkened by artillery smoke and a steady flow of families seeking refuge away from the sound of gunfire.
Whether Al-Tina proves to be a decisive breakthrough or another chapter in Darfur’s protracted struggle may depend on the durability of the RSF’s hold and the capacity of army-aligned forces to regroup. For civilians caught between rival commands, the immediate concern is more basic: safety, access to food and the hope that one of the region’s last open corridors does not close entirely.
