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Highway gains reshape front
The Sudanese army claimed to have regained control of the al-Sadarat highway linking Khartoum with el-Obeid, saying the road had been under siege by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and that Sunday’s capture marked the first major offensive against the paramilitary group in months.
“Khartoum (Fides Agency) – The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) announced that it had taken back control of the highway linking the capital Khartoum to El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan”
Morning Star said the capture of the al-Sadarat highway would help the Egyptian and Saudi-supported army move troops, weapons, fuel and supplies, and would also block a push by the United Arab Emirates-backed RSF to seize el-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan state.
The army said in a statement issued on Sunday that it had managed to recapture a number of towns and cities between Khartoum and el-Obeid after two days of intense fighting, and it added that its troops had “inflicted heavy losses in lives and equipment” on the RSF.
Al Jazeera reported that the capture of Al Sadarat highway on Sunday would help the Sudanese army move troops, weapons, fuel and supplies, and would also block the RSF’s push to seize el-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan state.
Both outlets tied the fighting to humanitarian pressure, with Morning Star saying about half a million people were reportedly trapped in the city where the United Nations says a humanitarian catastrophe is taking place, while Al Jazeera said residents faced intense RSF drone attacks.
Competing claims and drone strikes
Radio Dabanga said the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) tightened their grip on the strategic Omdurman–El Obeid Export Road after capturing Umm Garfa, but local sources disputed reports that the route had reopened, saying fighting continues along key sections.
Radio Dabanga also reported that pro-RSF social media accounts claimed Maj Gen Wad Elamin El Daga and Maj Gen El Haj Hussein El Buss were killed during fighting in the area, while Tasees Interior Minister Suleiman Sundal said the battles in North Kordofan demonstrated the determination of the alliance’s forces.
In a statement on Sunday, the SAF said its forces expanded their control following what it described as successful military operations that inflicted heavy losses on the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in personnel and equipment, and soldiers shared videos on social media claiming to show SAF troops securing stretches of the export road.
Al Jazeera’s AlMigdad Alruhaid said the capture of the highway restores “a direct connection between the capital and Kordofan for the first time in months,” and he described the road as a key military supply route that allows the army to move fuel, troops and equipment more quickly to el-Obeid.
Radio Dabanga added that the RSF launched another drone attack on El Obeid at around midday on Sunday, with witnesses telling it drones struck several locations across the city shortly after noon.
Humanitarian stakes and next moves
The New Arab said an expert told it the capture of towns including Bara, Jabra al-Sheikh, Umm Sayala and Umm Qarfa reopened a major road linking El-Obeid with Omdurman, describing it as a “highly significant development” that could pave the way for a broader offensive against the RSF.
“The Sudanese army announced that it had regained full control of a major highway linking the capital Khartoum to the city of El-Obeid, which is currently besieged by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF)”
The New Arab quoted Nohad Eltayeb, Senior Research Assistant at ACLED, saying “The capture of these towns is a highly significant development,” and she described the route as “a far more efficient supply line than the previous route through White Nile State.”
Morning Star said the conflict has killed at least 40,000 people, according to the World Health Organisation, and displaced more than 14 million, while Al Jazeera said UN Women warned women and girls in el-Obeid “now face an impossible choice over something as basic as a bucket of water.”
Al Jazeera reported that UN Women added that sexual violence has been used as a weapon throughout Sudan’s three-year war, with testimonies describing rape committed in front of family members alongside brutal physical abuse.
Radio Dabanga said the SAF Assistant Commander-in-Chief Lt Gen Yasser El Atta said Sovereignty Council President and Commander-in-chief of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) Lt Gen Abdelfattah El Burhan had ordered forces to continue advancing towards Um Dafoug (Um Dafug) locality in South Darfur until all areas under RSF control had been recaptured.
