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Sudan Army Retakes Strategic Khartoum-el-Obeid Highway from RSF — AI-generated representative image: Sudanese army vehicles move along a highway in North Kordofan following military operations to retake the strategic Khartoum-

Editorial Team

The recapture of the Al Sadarat route severs a key RSF supply line and reopens humanitarian access to 500,000 civilians trapped in el-Obeid.

The Sudanese army announced on Sunday that it has regained full control of the Al Sadarat highway, a 350-kilometer strategic route connecting Khartoum with the besieged city of el-Obeid, after two days of intense fighting with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The military operation, described as the army's first major offensive in months, recaptured the towns of Um Qurfa and Jarigakh and inflicted what the army called "heavy losses in lives and equipment" on RSF fighters, forcing them to flee.

The highway's capture is a significant shift in Sudan's three-year conflict. It restores a direct land corridor between the capital and North Kordofan state for the first time since April 2023, enabling faster troop and supply movements while blocking the RSF's long-standing push to seize el-Obeid, a city whose fall would give the paramilitary control over all of western Sudan.

For the approximately half a million civilians trapped in el-Obeid under RSF drone attacks, the development also raises hopes for improved humanitarian access.

Military Gains and Strategic Significance

The army confirmed its forces retook Um Qurfa and Jarigakh along the highway following fierce battles over the weekend. "With this victory, the forces have taken control of the export route of Omdurman Al-Abyd," the military stated, using an alternative name for the Al Sadarat highway.

The recaptured route allows the army to move fuel, troops, and equipment directly to el-Obeid rather than relying on a longer detour through White Nile State. The advance also reduces pressure on el-Obeid, which had been largely isolated by RSF positions, and could reopen a vital trade corridor for livestock and agricultural products from the Kordofan region.

Three Years of Conflict

The RSF had controlled most of the Al Sadarat highway since April 2023, when war erupted between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary force over disagreements about integrating the RSF into the national army. Since then, the conflict has killed an estimated 40,000 people, according to the World Health Organization, and displaced more than 14 million.

El-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan state, has remained under siege for months, with residents subjected to intense RSF drone attacks. The United Nations has repeatedly warned of a humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in the city, where access to basic necessities has become perilous.

Humanitarian Toll and Civilian Suffering

UN Women reported last week that women and girls in el-Obeid "now face an impossible choice over something as basic as a bucket of water: risk a drone strike by collecting it in daylight, or risk rape by waiting until dark." The agency added that sexual violence has been systematically used as a weapon throughout the war, with testimonies describing rape committed in front of family members alongside brutal physical abuse.

Voice of Urdu correspondents noted that securing the highway could significantly improve humanitarian access to communities cut off by the fighting, potentially allowing aid organizations to reach populations that have been isolated for months.

What Lies Ahead

With the Al Sadarat highway now under army control, the RSF's campaign to capture el-Obeid faces a major setback. The loss of the route severs a critical supply line for the paramilitary force and strengthens the army's position in the strategically vital Kordofan region. Military analysts suggest the army is likely to consolidate its hold along the corridor before attempting further operations, though the broader conflict remains far from resolution.

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