Sudanese army reports significant advances in Kordofan against Rsf forces

The Sudanese army announced significant territorial gains in the central Kordofan region on Tuesday following a fresh wave of clashes with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). In an official statement, the military detailed operations that it said resulted in heavy RSF losses in both personnel and military hardware. The army also confirmed securing control over several key sites, asserting that these movements were part of a deliberate strategic redeployment and vowing to continue its campaign.

Allied Forces Support Claims

Adding weight to the army's assertions, the Joint Force of Armed Movements, a coalition allied with the military, reported regaining control of the Abu Sunun and Abu Qaoud areas in North Kordofan. Darfur Governor Minni Arko Minnawi also corroborated the successes, stating that joint forces had defeated the RSF in the Jabal Abu Sunun area and its surroundings.

RSF Disputes the Narrative

However, the RSF presented a conflicting account of the fighting. The rebel group claimed that its forces successfully repelled army attacks in multiple locations, including Jabal Abu Sunun, Jabal Issa, and Al-Ayyara, which lie to the west of the provincial capital, El-Obeid. This denial highlights the ongoing information war that parallels the military confrontations on the ground.

Conflict Expands to New Fronts

The fighting in Kordofan represents a geographical expansion of the Sudanese conflict, which erupted in April 2023 between the national army and the RSF. The clashes spread to this new front following the RSF's capture of El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state, last month. While the RSF now controls all five states of the Darfur region, the army holds most of the country's other 13 states, including the capital, Khartoum. The brutal war has resulted in a severe humanitarian crisis, with international organizations reporting tens of thousands of deaths and millions displaced.