Thousands flee, RSF pushes east as Sudan conflict escalates across Darfur and Kordofan
Despite a US-backed ceasefire, RSF forces continue their eastward offensive, sparking new waves of violence and mass civilian displacement across Kordofan.
Fighting in Sudan has intensified despite a ceasefire, as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) push eastward in their ongoing battle with the Sudanese army.
On Thursday, the RSF launched drone strikes in the central Kordofan region, a strategic corridor between Darfur and the rest of Sudan.
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A statement from the Sudanese army said the attacks targeted an army headquarters, an airport, and a dam in Merowe—an area under army control for months.
This latest advance follows the RSF’s capture of El-Fasher, the army’s last stronghold in western Darfur, in October.
According to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), 90,000 civilians have fled el-Fasher since it fell under RSF control. Thousands of people were executed in a single incident by RSF fighters when they took the city.
The IOM says reports of similar brutality are now emerging in the Kordofan region, where an estimated 50,000 people have fled. Residents in the city of Bara have reported revenge killings, round-ups, and summary executions.
US-backed ceasefire
Although the RSF signed a US-backed ceasefire last week following international outcry over El-Fasher, the Sudanese army has refused to join the truce.
Observers suggest the fighting may soon focus on El-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan and one of Sudan’s largest cities. Troop buildups by both the army and RSF have been reported there, and most civilians have fled.
Locals told Reuters that the RSF has also surrounded an army base in West Kordofan.
Meanwhile, SPLM-N, an armed group allied with the RSF, claims it has encircled Sudanese troops and escalated attacks in the South Kordofan cities of Kadugli and Dalang.
Last week, a global hunger monitor reported that Kadugli was experiencing famine, with Dalang likely also facing famine, reflecting the impact of the siege of El-Fasher.
The war between Sudan’s army and the RSF, which erupted two-and-a-half years ago over a power struggle that threatens to fracture the country, has killed tens of thousands, displaced nearly 12 million people, and triggered one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
On Friday, UN human rights chief Volker Turk said, "Developments on the ground indicate clear preparations for intensified hostilities, with everything that implies for its long-suffering people."
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