Sudanese Army Retakes Key North Kordofan Towns in Advance Against RSF

By Al Mayadeen English

Source: News websites

27 Jul 2026 16:00

The Sudanese Armed Forces announce the recapture of Bara, Umm Sayala and Jabra al-Sheikh in North Kordofan, disrupting RSF supply routes between Darfur and central Sudan.

The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have announced the recapture of the strategic towns of Bara, Umm Sayala and Jabra al-Sheikh in North Kordofan following a large-scale military operation against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The advance marks one of the army’s most significant gains in Kordofan this year and comes as both sides continue competing for control of key supply routes connecting central Sudan with Darfur.

The operation was carried out by the SAF with support from the Joint Force of allied armed groups and other pro-army formations, according to military sources.

The offensive followed weeks of clashes in northern North Kordofan, where the RSF had reinforced its positions north and west of El Obeid in an effort to secure logistical routes used to move fighters, weapons and supplies between Darfur and central Sudan.

Military sources said army forces advanced toward Bara after entering Umm Sayala, launching clearing operations against RSF positions in the area. The SAF later announced that it had secured Bara and surrounding areas while pursuing RSF fighters who withdrew westward.

Strategic corridor between Darfur and central Sudan

Bara holds strategic geographic importance along the road connecting El Obeid with northern North Kordofan and Darfur. Umm Sayala lies along the same route, which has served as a key corridor for RSF movements in recent months.

Military analysts said the army’s control of the two towns could reduce the threat of further RSF pressure on El Obeid, the SAF’s main stronghold in North Kordofan, which has faced repeated drone and artillery attacks.

The gains also strengthen the army’s ability to secure the Export Road and routes leading towards White Nile state and Khartoum, while providing a potential launch point for further operations towards Darfur.

The North Kordofan state government said the offensive followed an RSF attack in the Barbir area south of El Obeid, accusing the group of killing 15 civilians, injuring others and looting residents’ property.

Authorities said SAF forces pursued the attackers, forced their withdrawal and secured the area to prevent further incursions. Meanwhile, residents reported drone strikes targeting water stations in Rahid al-Nuba and Umm Nabaq, disrupting supplies relied upon by thousands of displaced people who fled Umm Sayala, Jabra al-Sheikh and eastern Bara.

North Kordofan emerges as major battlefield

North Kordofan has become one of the central fronts in Sudan’s war, which erupted in April 2023 between the army and the RSF.

The RSF had used Bara’s location to maintain links between its forces in Darfur and central Sudan, while El Obeid remained a key SAF military base in the region. The army has frequently sought to cut RSF supply lines from Darfur, while the paramilitary group has attempted to preserve its logistical corridors towards West Kordofan and western Sudan.

Umm Sayala has witnessed repeated clashes due to its position along a major military route connecting central Sudan with Darfur.

Despite the army’s latest gains, fighting continues along approaches to Darfur, with clashes reported along the Kordofan-Darfur boundary as the RSF attempts to reorganize its defensive positions and reinforce its forces in western Sudan.

Field sources said fighting has intensified along routes leading towards El Fasher and other western areas, with both sides deploying combat vehicles and drones.

The developments indicate that the battlefield focus is gradually shifting from the outskirts of El Obeid towards the wider front between Kordofan and Darfur. Analysts said the capture of Bara and Umm Sayala provides the SAF with an operational advantage by restricting RSF mobility in North Kordofan and disrupting one of its main overland supply routes.

The advance could allow the army to consolidate its position in North Kordofan before attempting further operations towards West Kordofan and Darfur, where the RSF maintains its main military and administrative strongholds.

However, fighting is expected to continue as both sides seek to strengthen their positions ahead of the next phase of the conflict, with Darfur increasingly emerging as a decisive battleground following major shifts in territorial control across Sudan.