Sudan army captures Umm Sayala area in North Kordofan: Sources

Army advances in North Kordofan

Sudanese military units backed by allied forces have captured the Umm Sayala area in North Kordofan State following intense clashes with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), according to military sources who spoke on condition of anonymity. The sources said government troops launched an offensive on the strategic location near the town of Bara, inflicting heavy casualties and equipment losses on the paramilitary group.

Strategic location

Umm Sayala lies approximately 57 kilometers (35 miles) north of El-Obeid, the state capital, and sits adjacent to Bara — the second-largest city in North Kordofan, which remains under RSF control. Social media videos appeared to show Sudanese soldiers announcing control of the area alongside footage of destroyed military vehicles, though the footage could not be independently verified.

Conflict context

Neither the Sudanese army nor the RSF had issued an official statement regarding the reported advances as of Saturday afternoon. North Kordofan has witnessed intensified fighting in recent months as the army seeks to expand its control around El-Obeid and advance toward RSF-held positions in Bara.

Sudan has been engulfed in fighting between the army and the RSF since April 2023 — a conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced nearly 13 million and triggered one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, according to UN estimates.