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Around 10,000 Sudanese soldiers withdrew from Yemen and returned to their country, Deputy Head of the Sovereign Council of Sudan and the commander of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo announced.
This was reported by a Sudanese outlet, al-Tayyar, citing anonymous sources.
Without providing any further details, the outlet said that General Dagalo was unwilling to send any more troops to Yemen in aid of the Saudi-led coalition.
The decision to withdraw the forces was reportedly made after a tripartite meeting of the the Council of Sovereignty, the cabinet, and the Forces of Freedom and Change, which have led the protest movement in the country.
In a separate report, the Associated Press reported that Sudanese official confirmed the partial withdrawal but stressed that does not mean that Sudan is quitting the coalition.
“The officials say Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, head of the RSF, agreed with Saudi Arabia that he would not replace returned forces as fighting on the ground has dwindled in recent months,” said the AP
“They said a “few thousand troops” remain for training Yemeni government forces”.
The Sudanese officials further said the RSF participating in the Yemen war reached over 40,000 when the conflict was at its peak in 2016-2017.
In the week ending on October 27th, Saudi forces were deployed in Aden as the UAE withdrew its troops from Yemen.
In late 2018, the New York Times reported that the Saudi-led coalition was using Sudanese child soldiers in its intervention in Yemen.
The Sudanese fighters also insisted that they were the main barrier against the Houthi, safeguarding the Kingdom.
“Without us, the Houthis would take all of Saudi Arabia, including Mecca,” the 28-year-old Mohmed Suleiman al-Fadil said.
“Sudan’s defense minister threatened last May to withdraw from the conflict, pointedly announcing that Khartoum was ‘Reassessing’ participation in light of Sudan’s ‘Stability and interests.’ Diplomats called the statement a veiled demand that Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates provide more financial assistance.”
The news of a withdrawal isn’t necessarily true, since in July 2019 there were reports that a large-scale Sudanese withdrawal was taking place, but it was later denied by the military.
Regardless, if true, that spells quite bad news for Saudi Arabia, since the UAE retreated. Even with the Emirates taking part in the conflict, the Houthis have long had the upper hand in the conflict, without them it’s even more precarious.
The Sudanese troops are the core of the Saudi-led coalition’s army, without them, the claims of the Houthi movement taking over all of Saudi Arabia if they so wish seem more possible than ever.
In late September, the Houthis reported that a months-long operation had been successful and resulted in the capture of thousands of Saudi troops.
“Over 2,000 fighters were taken prisoner,” the Houthi spokesperson added, saying most of them were Yemeni but that they also included other prisoners, and they were captured in the region of Najran.
An unnamed Saudi-backed government source said the number of prisoners was “less than” the Houthis claimed, estimating “the number is about 1,300 soldiers,” including 280 wounded.
It should be reminded that the September 14th attack on Aramco’s oil infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, went through several Patriot defense batteries and other defense systems. The Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack and previous similar attacks, but Riyadh and Washington blamed it on Iran.
On September 20th, Houthi officials said they would halt missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia if the alliance stopped its operations in Yemen. Saudi Arabia continues its airstrikes and attacks, despite fighting a clearly losing battle.
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“The Sudanese troops are the core of the Saudi-led coalition’s army, without them, the claims of the Houthi movement taking over all of Saudi Arabia if they so wish seem more possible than ever.”
One year and 3 months ago, I made the call the Houthis would take the war into Saudi Arabia as this was the only way to force an end to the war. This is still true despite the extraordinary staying power of MbS that I did not anticipate. Will MbS, like Hitler, continue the hopeless fight until the nation is in ruins and humiliated under occupation by armies that were assumed would be trampled easily under a column of military boots? Will MbS be stopped before it gets this far?
Where is sanity in the House of Saud. They cannot delude themselves that their Coalition, what little remains of it, is fighting a cause long lost, a cause no one really believed in to begin with. They will not fight for you, more likely take up arms against you. And now you, who are members of the House of Saud are staring into the abyss, the final destination MbS has in store for your Kingdom. Will it have to be that when MbS goes down, so to will the Kingdom and the House of Saud go down with him.
There is still time but not much. Change course. End this war.
When we sit down and look at the situation, we see that they are obviously hurling towards a cliff. The Saudis, the Terrorists, the US. And we think surely anyone with a brain would see that they are leading themselves into destruction.
But the reality isn’t that they are dumb or unintelligent. The reality is that God has blinded them. They think they are being clever, and thinking and strategizing and working hard. When in reality they are paving the path to their own doom.
Good.comment S. I have speculated before that the house of Saud is getting set up for democratization.
Well, the US has backed and armed the Coalition in the war on Yemen – a project of the house of Saud. Those that bring down the House of Saud would quickly see their own downfall if they allowed US based oil giants to plunder their national treasure. The US backed the loser so pays the price. Note that Putin has also been diplomatically supportive of KSA in its war on Yemen so he will get frosty reception but not nearly as bad as the titanic iceberg that awaits the post-downfall maiden voyage of the USS Diplomacy and no working lifeboats .
Can the US somehow still get its grubby hands on KSA oil gas infrastructure? All things are possible but more likely it will be like Iran which did not appreciate US backed coup in 1953 and installing US puppet dictator. The US is going to be about as popular in the Arabian Peninsula as they are in Iran. and worse. US power is greatly diminished so less feared and more open defiance.
Do you see a silver lining somewhere for the US to salvage something from this accelerating train wreck?
I’d love nothing more for the Houthis to march on Riad and make MBS scramble for his safe house in the south of France, but the Houthis are a light infantry army which does well in the harsh terrain of north Yemen. In the open deserts of southern SA they’d be far easier to target by Saudi air power, even as inept as the Saudi air force. Surely even they can hit something in flat open terrain?
Yes, but I think the Houthis are aware of this and have a plan. The Houthis conducted drone attacks on air bases that significantly reduced Saudi air force effectiveness. Also, expect locals to provide intelligence as before – the Saudi Monarchy has many enemies in KSA. The Houthis are also building up an armoured force. For example, Everyoneisbiased stated in a post a month ago:
“Unbelievable! They stepped up to a whole new level! On a side note: I have seen nearly all videos they posted in the last years. But this is the first time i see them driving the vehicles and using them instead of torching each and everyone. Maybe this is another sign that they plan to use those more heavy weapons in offensive operations.”
In reply I wrote:
“Good observation. The Houthis are not finished with KSA and this was planned in advance so going mobile warfare. Note how they attenuated the effectiveness of the Saudi Air Force. They must have further surprises to keep the Air Force ineffectual as vulnerable if crossing desert terrain. Houthi announcement on prisoner treatment and pointing out Coalition aircraft targeting prisoners and indiscriminate bombing of own troops. Purpose is clear enough. Houthis have determined, as had occurred in Aden, the tipping point is at hand for major insurrection and final disintegration of military Coalition as an effective cohesive force.”
“…The Houthis conducted drone attacks on air bases that significantly reduced Saudi air force effectiveness…”
The RSAF was never effective except as an instrument of terror against Yemeni civilians. Despite that, this is a most curious opinion, Melanson. How, exactly, have the Houthi drone strikes on their air bases affected Saudi AF effectiveness? They are still able to launch multiple air operations a day from many air bases across Saudi Arabia. In fact, they just did. The Houthi were never much of a target, as are any mountain light infantry.
I’m sure the Houthi drone attacks at the Kingdom’s southwestern bases make them nervous, but they rarely do more than randomly damage a building (at least that we ever find out about). I don’t disparage the Houthis efforts by any means and I certainly have no sympathy for the Saudis, but the effect of drone strikes is marginal. RSAF operations were impaired and continue to disintegrate from a host of internal factors. The Saudis have top-of-the-line aircraft and plenty of western rent-boy maintenance, but no commanders. The RSAF just sucks – everyone knows that, especially the Saudis.
Do not ask me, read what General Sari had to say on “Operation Victory From God” quoted in SF, September 29, 2019 titled “Houthis Release Shocking Videos of Operation Victory from God”.
A number of statements were made that gave specific examples of how Missile and drone strikes were effective in attenuating the Saudi Air Force operational capabilities (yes, I forgot to mention Missile strikes). Some of course was temporary but it was during sensitive phases of Houthi operation so was when it counted most. It also had a psychological effect which plays a big role in poor showing of Coalition forces in combat situations.
If you want to debate Houthi claims, I point out the Houthi track record on announcements shows a remarkable degree of honesty and accuracy with largely conservative assessments in contrast to gulf state media’s bombastic exaggeration And outright lies.
Houthi style mirrors Hezbollah in their media communications and it is no coincidence.
There are no needs for US/ Israel or Europe to seize Saudi oil fields, ( as a side note: the richest fields are jointly owned by Saudi/ Kiwait and their infrastructure and shipping is done foreign contractor managers), as Oil and Natural Gas being worlds most controlled resources and while Saudi, UAE, Kuwait Emirates and families profit handomely, they market according to International Rules. RULES THAT PROFIT BUT A VERY FEW INTERNATIONAL ENERGY OWNERS. At any moment of time damn near every barrel of oil is accounted for, and those who know where and when it is set the prices. The total amounts Saudis make on oil sales, would not pay for 3 months of US military, but control of its sales are far flung enriching the Eurocentric nations economies far more. The cash flow daily from oil sales world wide is in trillions of dollars, and so they who cook the books skim from top and only need computer operators to do so. Side note: At time of Iraq/ Kuwait War I, Japanese firms had contract managing those Saudi Kuwat oil fields, and Hense at end of that conflict Japan gave then President Bush foundation some 15 millions for his sic,, Presidental Library, They also rewarded contracts to Haliburton and invested in Bush Familys Carlyle group. Those who win from wars are not the generals grunts or citizens of nations who claim victory.