Fighting continues for second day in Sudan’s North Kordofan state
Fighting between the Sudanese military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces continued in three locations in the North Kordofan state for the second day in a row, according to the Sudan Tribune on November 18th.
The two groups have been embroiled in a devastating civil war since April 2023 after a power struggle turned violent. Ever since the RSF flushed the military out of the city of El-Fasher and gained control of large parts of the Darfur region, a new frontline has opened up in the central region of Kordofan.
Kordofan comprises of three states that act as a buffer between RSF-held territories in the west and the army-dominated east. On November 14th, eyewitnesses informed Reuters of an influx of troop deployments by both warring parties in the region, seemingly coalescing around the North Kordofan state capital of El Obeid.
Around November 17th, the military initiated an offensive in North Kordofan, where it made notable territorial gains in the localities of Kazgail and Um Dam Hag. It then made further advances into Bara and Um Sayyala before being forced to retreat under heavy gunfire.
Speaking to Sudan Tribune, a military source revealed that “the Sudanese army, the joint force attacked RSF positions in the western part of El Obeid… early this morning.”
Sources suggest that the RSF suffered heavy territorial losses against the military coalition, which forced the paramilitaries back as far as Al-Khawi town in West Kordofan state.
Videos published by platforms loyal to the military coalition display the capture and killing of several RSF combatants, alongside images of destroyed armoured vehicles. Military warplanes also conducted targeted airstrikes on RSF-controlled areas, such as Al-Mazroub and Bara town.
The RSF released a statement explaining that it had engaged in fire-fights in the areas of Jabal Issa, Jabal Abu Sunun, and Al-Ayyara, west of El Obeid. It claimed that the paramilitaries inflicted major blows to the military coalition, amounting to hundreds of casualties and the seizure of equipment and vehicles.
On the following day of November 18th, the military coalition revealed that it once again won significant territorial gains across all Kordofan axes after battles fought by allied forces and army units.
A military spokesperson revealed that “several vital locations were secured, and the redeployment was carried out according to the established plan.” The statement added that military morale is at perhaps its highest level since the war started in 2023.
Sudan Tribune, Maghrebi.org, Reuters
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