Clashes have persisted for over a week around the cities of El-Obeid, Bara, Dilling, Kadugli, and Babnousa across Sudan’s three Kordofan states

• Analysts say the Sudanese army aims to fortify Kordofan as a strategic defense line
• ‘We expect the army’s continued advances in Kordofan until it regains control of Darfur,’ Sudanese military expert tells Anadolu

KHARTOUM / ISTANBUL 

Following the Rapid Support Forces’ (RSF) capture of El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, last month, the Sudanese army has redirected its military operations toward five major flashpoints across the three Kordofan states in central and southern Sudan.

The rebel group took control of El-Fasher on Oct. 26, a strategic city in Darfur, with local and international organizations reporting widespread human rights violations and massacres against civilians.

Of Sudan’s 18 states, the RSF now holds all five in the Darfur region, except for a few northern areas of North Darfur still under army control. The Sudanese army continues to dominate most of the remaining 13 states across the south, north, east, and central regions, including the capital, Khartoum.

For more than a week, clashes involving drones, artillery, and increased troop movements have intensified along the El-Obeid and Bara fronts in North Kordofan (central Sudan), Dilling and Kadugli in South Kordofan (south), and Babnousa in West Kordofan (west).

The three Kordofan states hold significant military importance due to their proximity to Darfur region’s western border, where the RSF controls all major cities.

North Kordofan

In North Kordofan, fighting has centered on El-Obeid, the state capital, and nearby Bara, which the RSF captured in October.
Military sources told Anadolu that the Sudanese army launched airstrikes on Nov. 8-9 targeting RSF positions along the Bara axis.

Witnesses reported that the RSF responded by shelling areas and villages north of Bara.

South Kordofan

After El-Fasher’s fall, South Kordofan witnessed heavy clashes and troop buildups near Dilling, the state’s second-largest city, and the capital, Kadugli.

On Nov. 7, the RSF and its ally, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu, shelled Dilling with artillery, killing and wounding several civilians, according to witnesses.
The SPLM-N has been fighting the Sudanese army in South Kordofan and Blue Nile since 2011, seeking special status for both regions.

In retaliation, the army fired artillery at RSF positions northeast of Dilling, forcing the rebel group to reposition in the northern, eastern, and western parts of the city, witnesses told Anadolu.
Dilling remains under a suffocating siege, with RSF forces controlling its north and east, while SPLM-N fighters hold positions to the west and south.

West Kordofan

In West Kordofan, Babnousa has once again become a central battlefield as the RSF continues shelling and attacks in a bid to seize the city.
Local sources told Anadolu that the Sudanese army’s 22nd Infantry Division is mounting a strong defense.

On Nov. 10, the RSF released Telegram videos showing reinforcements arriving in Babnousa in preparation for an assault.
It also posted clips calling on Sudanese army commanders across Kordofan to “surrender,” particularly in Babnousa.

The Sudanese army announced on Nov. 9 that

its 22nd Infantry Division had “repelled a heavy RSF attack involving drones and intense artillery shelling, and our forces dealt with the assault professionally” in Babnousa.
According to the Babnousa Emergency Room, a local relief committee, around 177,000 residents have fled the city due to ongoing RSF bombardments in Babnousa, which has been under siege for over two years.

Strategic Shift

Analysts say the army is seeking to fortify areas in North Kordofan as a strategic defensive line protecting Gezira and Khartoum before expanding operations south into South Kordofan and west toward Darfur. Meanwhile, the RSF is working to consolidate its control in Darfur and launch continuous attacks in the Kordofan region to expand its territorial reach.

Military expert Moatasem Abdel Qader told Anadolu that the Sudanese army maintains its presence across all three Kordofan states and in the northwestern parts of North Darfur.

“Fighting continues in Kordofan, and there has been progress that will persist until all Sudanese territory is recaptured, as Sovereignty Council Chairman Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has stated,” Abdel Qader said.

He added that the army is now relying on air power, “which is a natural step in demonstrating military strength, followed by artillery and ground forces.”
The expert predicted that “the army’s advances in Kordofan will continue until it regains control of Darfur.”

The RSF claims to “lead a second battle to liberate all of Sudan after liberating Kordofan,” saying its next campaign will push through the northern and central states and culminate in Port Sudan, the transitional government’s headquarters.

Regional and international efforts have failed to stop the bloody war between the Sudanese army and the RSF, which has been raging since April 2023, leaving tens of thousands dead and displacing about 13 million people. Anadolu Agency