Sudanese Army Recaptures Key Territory In North Kordofan From RSF

On Sunday, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), alongside allied militia groups, successfully reclaimed the strategic Umm Sumayyah area in North Kordofan State from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Located west of the regional capital, El-Obeid, the area had seen fierce fighting.

Darfur Governor Minni Minnawi publicly welcomed the liberation of Umm Sumayyah, celebrating its return under government control, though he offered no additional specifics. A joint statement from the allied forces described a “complete victory and cleansing” of the territory after intense clashes drove out RSF fighters.

Earlier that day, the RSF had announced it had captured Umm Sumayyah following heavy fighting with the army, highlighting the volatile and contested nature of the battlefield.

According to humanitarian officials, around 675 families were forced to flee nearby villages, Al‑Kurdi and Shaq Al‑Noum, due to heightened violence on Friday and Saturday.

This development marks another chapter in the ongoing, bloody confrontations across the wider Kordofan region comprising North, West, and South Kordofan where government troops and RSF forces continue to clash.

Since the war erupted in April 2023, fighting between the army and RSF has killed over 20,000 people and displaced around 14 million. However, independent research suggests the real death toll could be much higher, with estimates nearing 130,000.