ALBAWABA- The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) announced on Monday that they had captured the strategic town of Habila in South Kordofan, marking a major advance in Sudan’s ongoing civil war and opening a corridor to break the longstanding siege of Dilling.
According to SAF statements, the operation involved heavy clashes between the army’s Fifth and Tenth Divisions and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF)-aligned 54th Infantry Brigade. The army said it expelled RSF fighters and allied Janjaweed militias from key positions, enabling SAF units to advance toward Dilling and link up with forces trapped inside the city.
Military sources described the takeover as a “qualitative field gain” that strengthens army control and restores operational momentum. No official casualty figures were released, though local reports spoke of intense fighting and failed RSF counterattacks.
The advance comes amid Sudan’s devastating civil war, which erupted in April 2023 following a power struggle between SAF chief Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti.
The conflict has displaced more than 10 million people, devastated large parts of Darfur and Kordofan, and killed over 20,000, according to international estimates. RSF sieges and attacks have emptied entire villages and deepened a humanitarian catastrophe marked by hunger and disease.
Recent fighting has intensified in South Kordofan, with RSF drone strikes in Dilling reportedly killing civilians, while the army has also pushed forward in Blue Nile state. Burhan has repeatedly ruled out negotiations, insisting that peace will not be possible until the RSF is defeated.
The battlefield shift is unfolding alongside growing regional involvement. Saudi Arabia and Egypt have increased political and logistical backing for the SAF, portraying the army as a guarantor of Sudan’s stability.
Both countries have also reportedly pressured Libya’s eastern commander, Khalifa Hafta,r to curb weapons flows to the RSF allegedly facilitated by the United Arab Emirates.
Riyadh and Cairo, working in coordination with partners including Turkey and Somalia, appear intent on countering UAE-backed RSF gains in Kordofan and Darfur, even as stalled peace efforts and competing regional interests raise the risk of deeper polarization.
