Sudanese Army Enters Kadugli, Breaks Rapid Support Forces' Two-Year Siege

Sudanese army forces say they entered Kadugli, the capital of South Kordofan, on February 3, 2026, claiming to have broken a siege by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that had lasted more than two years after heavy fighting on the city’s outskirts and along the Dilling–Kadugli road.

“Sudan’s army says it repelled an early-morning attack by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the allied Popular Movement on its positions in Dim Mansour and al‑Budi in Kormuk, south of the Blue Nile, after several hours of fighting”

Al-Jazeera Net

Multiple reports relay the army’s account that troops manoeuvred around defensive positions before moving into the centre and that the advance followed days of intense clashes with RSF and allied militia, with the military claiming to have inflicted heavy losses on the besiegers.

Al-Jazeera Net

The operation is reported as part of the broader nearly three-year war that began in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF and their local allies.

The army’s advance is reported as a continuation of recent operations that also relieved Dilling in late January.

Some outlets say government forces moved roughly 100 km from Dilling to Kadugli and reopened the key Kadugli-Dilling road.

Al-Jazeera Net

Reports describe fighting along the main road, with government statements framing the action as decisive.

The army called it a campaign that routed the RSF and allied militia on the Dilling-Kadugli road and said it reopened access between the towns after heavy battles.

Videos and statements from military leaders accompanied the announcement, while the RSF did not immediately comment in several accounts.

Humanitarian reporting across outlets stresses the severe impact of the siege.

“Al Jazeera Mubasher reported large scenes of welcome by the residents of the city of Kadugli in South Kordofan State after the Sudanese Armed Forces announced the opening of the Kadugli–Daleng road and their entry into the city after lifting a siege that lasted about three years, a field development residents described as pivotal for the state’s course”

Al-Jazeera Net

Multiple sources note that the UN confirmed famine conditions in Kadugli last year.

Thousands were forced to flee toward the White Nile and Al‑Ubayyid.

Coverage links the lifting of the siege to the possibility of relief for civilians who endured months of scarcity and displacement.

Some pieces estimate large proportions of the town’s prewar population fled and warn many remain at risk of starvation.

Eyewitness material and videos of residents welcoming troops appear in some accounts, underlining the immediate civilian response as well as lingering humanitarian needs.

Analysts and reports place the Kadugli operation within the wider war between army leader Gen. Abdel Fattah al‑Burhan and RSF commander Gen. Mohamed Dagalo, a conflict that has produced tens of thousands of deaths and displaced roughly 11 to 12 million people according to different outlets.

The front in South Kordofan is described as strategically important, forming a corridor between army-held areas and RSF-controlled Darfur.

albawaba

Some outlets warn the fighting could shift back toward Darfur, risking further escalation and greater humanitarian suffering.

The army's reported gains in Kadugli and Dilling are therefore presented both as immediate tactical successes and as potentially consequential for the broader balance of control in Kordofan and Darfur.

Uncertainty remains because several reports note the RSF had no immediate comment on the army's claims, and independent confirmation of battlefield losses and the longer-term security situation is limited.

“I recommend a bulleted key points summary”

Anadolu Ajansı

Some outlets cite anonymous army or AFP sources for the breakthrough, while others foreground UN humanitarian findings or include local video and statements from military leaders.

Anadolu Ajansı

Given those differences in sourcing and emphasis, the immediate picture is that the army reports a significant operational success and civilians may gain relief from months of siege and famine.

However, independent verification of all claims and the durability of the army's hold on Kadugli remain unclear.