Sudanese army said on Sunday it had regained control of a key highway linking Omdurman, part of the capital region, to El Obeid in North Kordofan state after two days of fighting with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia.
In a statement, the Sudanese Armed Forces said its troops, backed by allied forces, recaptured the areas of Umm Garfa and Grijikh in North Kordofan, saying the operations inflicted heavy losses on the RSF.
The army said the advances enabled its forces to secure the Export Road, a strategic supply route connecting Omdurman with El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan.
Earlier on Sunday, the military said it had also retaken the city of Bara, along with the strategic towns of Jabra al-Sheikh and Umm Sayala, following what it described as fierce clashes with RSF fighters.
Bara, about 45 km (28 miles) east of El Obeid, is the second-largest city in North Kordofan and has changed hands several times since the conflict erupted in April 2023.
Jabra al-Sheikh lies along the export route and serves as a commercial hub for surrounding agricultural and pastoral communities, while Umm Sayala is located near the highway linking North Kordofan to Omdurman, providing the army with an additional supply route to El Obeid.
North Kordofan has become a key battleground in Sudan’s conflict because it connects central Sudan with the Darfur region through a network of major transport routes. The state also serves as a strategic gateway to El Obeid, which remains under army control.
Badawi Sayed Ali, Managing Editor at the Sudan News Agency (SUNA), told DNE Africa that the latest military advances represented a significant shift on the battlefield, with the Sudanese army making broad territorial gains in North Kordofan.
He said the developments came despite diplomatic efforts led by the United States and Saudi Arabia, including engagement by U.S. envoy Massad Boulos, to facilitate talks between the Sudanese army and the RSF over the situations in Khartoum and Kordofan.
“The Sudanese army ultimately opted for the military option to decide the battle,” Sayed Ali said, adding that the army’s recent territorial gains reflected that decision.
Sudanese Army Assistant Commander-in-Chief Lt. Gen. Yasser al-Atta said military chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan had ordered forces to continue their advance until areas held by the RSF were recaptured.
Prime Minister Kamil Idris welcomed the military gains, describing the recapture of Bara, Umm Sayala and Jabra al-Sheikh as an important strategic development, according to the state-run SUNA.
Idris said the government would work to restore basic services and facilitate the return of residents to the recaptured areas.
The RSF did not immediately comment on the army’s latest claims.
The war between Sudan’s army and the RSF militia led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagolo, better known as Hemedti, which erupted in April 2023 over disputes surrounding the integration of the paramilitary force into the regular military during a planned political transition, has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced more than 14 million and triggered what the United Nations describes as one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises.
