Fighting has recently surged across Sudan’s Kordofan region, with the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) vying for control of territory.

The increase in hostilities coincides with the army’s push to solidify its hold on Khartoum and advance westward toward Darfur.

Clashes between the Sudanese army and the RSF have intensified as both sides aim to capture strategic locations that would secure supply lines for their forces in major urban centers across North, South, and West Kordofan.

Strategic towns drive escalation in North Kordofan clashes

Fighting has intensified in western North Kordofan, where the army is working to expand its areas of control and restrict RSF movements. The army has maintained command of El-Obeid, the state capital, and pushed into surrounding areas following a brief lull in hostilities, while the RSF has confined its operations to drone strikes on the city.

Key towns, such as Um Rawaba and Al-Rahd, remain under army control, with forces reinforcing main roads connecting El-Obeid to Bara to prevent RSF infiltration. Maintaining control over central and eastern parts of the state is also crucial for securing a vital supply line to White Nile state in the east, which links further to central and eastern Sudan.

Bara, which the RSF recaptured on Oct. 25, holds strategic importance due to its location 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of El-Obeid, providing a direct connection between North Kordofan and Omdurman, west of Khartoum. Whoever controls Bara also gains the ability to advance westward through North Kordofan toward North Darfur.

Currently, RSF forces hold positions in northern and western areas of the state, including Jabra Al-Sheikh, Hamrat El Sheikh, Al-Mazroob, Soudari, and Umm Badr, all of which serve as gateways into North Darfur.

Sudanese army retrieves captured areas

On Saturday, the Sudanese army recaptured the areas of Kazgeil and Umm Dam Haj Ahmed after battles with the RSF, according to a military source. The RSF had previously taken Umm Dam Haj Ahmed on Oct. 27 and Kazgeil on Sept. 25.

Umm Dam Haj Ahmed, located 70 kilometers (43 miles) northeast of El-Obeid, is known for its historic significance, its large regional market, and numerous Quran memorization centers. Kazgeil, about 45 kilometers (28 miles) south of El-Obeid, is strategically significant because it provides a route into South Kordofan, including RSF-held towns such as Dilling and Al-Khuwei.

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Control of both Kazgeil and Umm Dam Haj Ahmed secures a key path toward An-Nuhud in West Kordofan and onward to East Darfur and its capital, El-Daein, both of which remain under RSF control.

Dilling under fire: Army faces ongoing pressure from RSF, SPLM-N

Despite heavy fighting in the state capital, Kadugli, and in Dilling, both under army control, with Dilling under RSF siege for more than a year, the front lines have not shifted significantly.

South Kordofan also hosts forces from the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement–North (SPLM-N), led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu, which is fighting alongside the RSF under the “Sudan Founding Alliance.” On Feb. 22, the RSF and allied political and armed groups signed a political charter in Nairobi aimed at forming a parallel government.

Dilling, the state’s second-largest city, continues to face joint bombardment from the RSF and SPLM-N, including drone strikes. The RSF’s siege of Dilling is intended to prevent the army from advancing westward toward Al-Fula, the capital of West Kordofan, which would open a route into East Darfur. On Nov. 6, at least six civilians were killed and 12 wounded in artillery shelling by the RSF and SPLM-N.

Witnesses told Anadolu that RSF forces are stationed in Taybah, located at the junction of roads leading to Dilling, Dibeibat, and Abu Zabad, using it as a base for ground attacks even before the alliance with the SPLM was formalized.

Fierce battles rage in Babnousa as RSF seeks control of key town

The town of Babnousa, currently encircled by RSF and SPLM-N forces, has become the most volatile area in West Kordofan. The RSF has maintained control of Al-Fula since June 2024, along with Al-Mujlad to the west and An-Nuhud to the north, while continuing its push to seize Babnousa. On Saturday, the RSF released videos showing reinforcements being sent to the town as part of this offensive.

In response, the Sudanese army commander in Babnousa, Maj. Gen. Muawiya Hamad Abdullah, stated on Friday, “The city is fine. We in the 22nd Infantry Division will not negotiate, surrender, or withdraw. We will fight until victory.”

Heavy clashes resumed last Wednesday between the army and the RSF, involving both heavy and light weapons, as well as drone strikes. Babnousa, the economic hub of the state and home to a major railway station, has been a focal point of these confrontations.

In recent days, the army has repelled several large RSF attacks using artillery, drones, and armored vehicles. On Nov. 8, the RSF declared its determination to fight for control of Babnousa and defeat the army forces, who have been airdropping supplies to the besieged troops in the town.

No end to fighting until RSF disarms: Al-Burhan

Earlier on November 14, Sudan’s Transitional Sovereignty Council chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan rejected any possibility of a truce or peace deal with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) unless they first disarm.

Speaking to a crowd during a visit to the village of Al‑Suraih in Al‑Jazira State in central Sudan, al‑Burhan declared, "If the rebels do not put their weapons down and come to the table, there will be no dialogue and no peace. We will not accept them in Sudan, nor anyone who supports them."

He went on to emphasize that the army’s position would not change, saying, "We will remain steadfast in this approach. Either we eliminate them, or we fight them to the death. There will be no truce, no dialogue, and no peace between us and them," adding that "every Sudanese has been scarred by this war," while noting that the country’s "national unity and shared destiny" remain unbroken.

Al‑Burhan also stressed that the military has maintained from the outset that "this war will end only by ending these rebels (…) The Sudanese people have suffered at their hands — they have killed, tortured, looted, and acted with brutality. They will receive from us only what makes them taste the suffering they inflicted."

He concluded by asserting that "the battle against the Rapid Support Forces will not end without everyone’s participation," urging all individuals with weapons to join the fight and reiterating that "this war will not end through negotiations or a truce, but through defeating the rebellion."