The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have reported tangible battlefield gains against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in North Kordofan, capturing the strategically significant town of al-Mazroub after intense clashes. Military officials underscored that regaining control of al-Mazroub deals a critical blow to the RSF’s logistics, severing essential supply arteries connecting government-held North Kordofan with West Kordofan, a known stronghold of the paramilitary group.

Military escalations have also intensified in southeastern Blue Nile state. The army’s Fourth Infantry Division announced it had launched targeted operations against the RSF and its ally, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), in the Minza and Bashkarkad areas, reportedly inflicting substantial losses in personnel and hardware. Additionally, local authorities reported that air defense units intercepted hostile drones targeting the residence of Blue Nile Governor Ahmed al-Omda Badi amid escalating regional skirmishes.

Since the war erupted in Khartoum in April 2023, fighting has spread across 13 of Sudan's 18 states, resulting in a fractured landscape of territorial control. While the SAF retains authority over Khartoum, the north, east, and central regions, the RSF continues to dominate the vast majority of Darfur and contested pockets in Kordofan. According to conflict monitoring group ACLED, Kordofan alone accounts for nearly 20 percent of all recorded violent events during the conflict, serving as a decisive front line.

Despite tactical shifts on the ground, the humanitarian crisis gripping Sudan continues to spiral unchecked. United Nations agencies estimate that over 14 million people have been displaced from their homes, with approximately 19.5 million citizens—more than 40 percent of the population—facing acute levels of hunger. Severe economic decline and currency collapse in SAF-held territories have further pushed essential staples out of reach, leaving millions vulnerable to famine.

Source: www.aljazeera.com