Sudanese army advances in Kordofan amid ongoing clashes with RSF

KHARTOUM/ISTANBUL

The Sudanese army continued its advances in North and West Kordofan, south of the country, on Saturday, following fierce clashes with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), according to military sources.

Heavy clashes erupted between the army forces and the RSF in the strategic Um Samima area, which is 50 kilometers west of the provincial capital, El-Obeid, and links North Kordofan and West Kordofan states.

Military sources told Anadolu that the army forces are advancing in North Kordofan, as they carried out attacks with heavy and light weapons against the rebel forces in Um Samima.

The sources added that the army and allied forces are advancing along the axis west of Al-Khuwayyi in the West Kordofan state, around 100 kilometers away from El-Obeid.

On Tuesday, the Sudanese army announced significant progress in fighting fronts in the Kordofan states, which is considered by analysts as a step towards the RSF-controlled Darfur region.

Meanwhile, the RSF also reported wins in North Kordofan’s Jabal Abu Sunun, Jabal Issa, and Al-Ayyara areas.

On Oct. 26, the RSF militia seized control of El-Fasher and committed massacres of civilians, according to local and international organizations.

The RSF currently controls all five states of the Darfur region in western Sudan, while the army holds most of the remaining 13 states in the south, north, east, and center, including the capital, Khartoum.

The Sudanese army and the RSF have been locked in a devastating war since April 15, 2023. The conflict has killed thousands and displaced millions of others, leading to one of the world's worst humanitarian disasters.