The Sudanese army has announced a major breakthrough, ending a nearly two-year siege imposed by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on the southern state capital of el-Obeid.
This development coincided with the RSF’s signing of a political charter in Nairobi, Kenya, to establish a breakaway government in the areas under its control.
Since April 2023, the RSF and the army have been locked in a brutal power struggle, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths and the displacement of millions.
The conflict has divided the country, with the army holding the north and east, while the RSF controls most of the Darfur region in the west and parts of the south.
El-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan state, serves as a strategic hub linking Khartoum to Darfur. The city’s recapture marks a significant advance for the army, which has recently regained several parts of Khartoum from the RSF.
The streets of el-Obeid erupted in celebration as Sudanese soldiers marched into the city. Military spokesman Nabil Abdallah confirmed the success, stating that army forces had dismantled RSF units in the area.
Finance Minister Jibril Ibrahim hailed the victory as a “massive step,” noting its potential to lift the RSF siege on el-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to Kordofan.
Sudanese civil society activist Dallia Abdlemoniem described the army’s recapture of el-Obeid as “huge” and “significant” during an interview with the BBC Newsday programme.
She said the RSF had “held the civilians captive for nearly two years” in the city.
The situation there was “horrific”, she said, adding that there had been no medical or food aid in an area considered “to be very risky in terms of famine and malnutrition”. She said she hoped more aid would now be allowed in.
“Lifting the siege brings life back to the city,” Ahmed Hussein, a 53-year-old trader in el-Obeid, told the AFP news agency.
Ms Abdelmoniem said the army was “making serious groundwork in terms of moving towards the west, which is where the RSF is mainly centred”.
Both the army and the RSF have been accused of committing grave atrocities against civilians during the war, with their leaders being sanctioned by the US. In addition, RSF has been accused of carrying out a genocide in Darfur.
Both deny the accusations.
Kenya’s hosting of the RSF last week as it sought to form a parallel government was criticised by some human rights groups.
On Sunday, Sudan’s Foreign Minister Ali Youssef said his country would “not accept” any country recognising “a so-called parallel government”.
Earlier, Sudan’s military government had warned it would take retaliatory measures against Kenya and has since recalled its ambassador from Nairobi.
In response, Kenya’s foreign ministry said there was “no ulterior motive” in “providing non-partisan platforms to conflict parties”.