A Jordanian manufactured Al-Wahsh armoured personnel carrier has been spotted in Sudanese Army Service.
The armoured vehicles is operated by the SAF 22nd Infantry Division in Babanusa. It is equipped with an AMCO Snakehead MKIII-A turret, was seen in a video posted on 28 May by the Information Office of the General Command of the Sudanese Armed Forces, which documented the fighting in the city of Derna.
The Al-Wahsh is a relatively new 4×4 armoured personnel carrier (APC) developed by Jordan’s King Abdullah II Design and Development Bureau (KADDB). It was launched in 2016 and is based on a Czech Republic Tatra (4×4) cross-country chassis, with STANAG 4569 Level 1-2 armour. Eight passengers can be carried. Weapons and turrets can be mounted on the roof.
The APC is powered by a 370hp diesel engine giving a top speed of 110km/h and a maximum range of 600 km.
It is not clear how many of the APCs have been delivered to Libya. However, three units were seen in the video.
Sudan is in the middle of a war between the Sudanese army and a paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which broke out in April last year.
More than nine million people have fled their homes, and everyone in the country has been affected in some way. A UN report paints a grim picture of the situation in Sudan, with nearly half the population requiring aid, millions displaced, and hunger on the rise.
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has adopted a resolution demanding an immediate cessation of hostilities in Sudan. The resolution, known as 2724, was adopted with an overwhelming majority, signaling the international community’s grave concern over the ongoing conflict that has led to a severe humanitarian crisis.
In June last year, Sudan’s military initiated a forceful offensive against the paramilitary Rapid Support Force (RSF). This offensive aims to retake key areas that were under the control of the RSF, a powerful and controversial paramilitary group in the country.
Both belligerents in Sudan; the national army, and the RSF are being supplied by their allies in the Middle East. Jordan and the United Arab Emirate are known to have supplied weapons to Sudan’s generals.
In 2019, UAE-made NIMR Ajban 440A 4×4 light armoured vehicle was supplied to Sudan, and operated by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).