Sudanese army claims strategic highway recapture amid siege of el-Obeid

The Sudanese army has announced it has regained full control of the Al Sadarat highway, a critical 350-kilometre route linking the capital, Khartoum, with el-Obeid in North Kordofan. The statement follows two days of intense combat, during which government forces recaptured the areas of Um Qurfa and Jarigakh, inflicting what it described as heavy losses on the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and forcing a retreat.

In a formal statement on Sunday, the army declared that its operations had successfully retook the cities and towns between the capital and el-Obeid. The military referred to the Al Sadarat highway as the "export route of Omdurman Al-Abyd," noting that the victory restores a direct military supply link for the first time in months. This development allows for the rapid movement of troops, fuel, and equipment, bypassing the longer alternative route through White Nile State.

Al Jazeera’s AlMigdad Alruhaid observed that the capture significantly alters the logistical landscape of the conflict. By securing this key supply route, the army can reduce pressure on el-Obeid, which has been largely isolated by RSF positions. The restoration of the highway also potentially opens a trade corridor for livestock and agricultural products from the Kordofan region, although the primary immediate impact is military.

The RSF had controlled most of the strategic highway since the outbreak of conflict in April 2023, stemming from disagreements over the integration of the paramilitary force into the national army. Losing this route hinders the RSF’s drive to seize el-Obeid, a city whose capture would grant the paramilitary force control over all of western Sudan. The army stated that its offensive marks the first major push against the paramilitary in months.

Approximately half a million people remain trapped in el-Obeid under siege, facing what the United Nations has warned is a humanitarian catastrophe. Residents are subjected to intense drone attacks and restricted access to basic necessities. UN Women reported last week that women and girls face an "impossible choice" when collecting water, forced to risk drone strikes in daylight or sexual violence in the dark.

The broader conflict, which began in April 2023, has killed an estimated 40,000 people according to the World Health Organization and displaced more than 14 million. Sexual violence has been documented as a weapon of war throughout the three-year conflict, with testimonies describing brutal abuse and rape committed in front of family members.