CAIRO — The Sudanese military successfully lifted a prolonged siege on the significant city of Obeid on Sunday, restoring vital access to a strategic region in south-central Sudan. This breakthrough is seen as a key development in the military’s ongoing war against the widely criticized paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which has persisted for nearly two years, according to military officials.
Military spokesman Brig. Gen. Nabil Abdullah declared that troops had expelled the RSF from their final stronghold in the White Nile province, marking another defeat for the group. This decisive action comes in the wake of a conflict that erupted in April 2022, following escalating tensions between the military and the RSF that exploded into full-scale war across the country.
The fighting has caused considerable destruction in urban centers, including the capital, Khartoum, while also resulting in heinous human rights violations. Reports from the United Nations and various international human rights organizations indicate that these acts may constitute war crimes, particularly in the western region of Darfur, where ethnic violence and mass atrocities, including rape, have been documented.
In his statement, Abdullah noted that military forces in the al-Sayyad region had successfully reopened the vital route to Obeid, which serves as the capital of North Kordofan province and houses a key airbase alongside the military’s 5th Infantry Division, known as Haganah. Obeid is strategically located on a railway that connects Khartoum to Nyala, the capital city of South Darfur province, and had been under siege by the RSF since the war began in April 2023.
Finance Minister Jibril Ibrahim praised the military’s achievement in Obeid, calling it a significant milestone that would not only weaken the RSF’s grip on the area but also facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to Kordofan.
The setbacks for the RSF continue amid a series of military offensives that began last September, aimed at reclaiming the Great Khartoum area. Since then, the military has regained control over critical sites, including its primary headquarters, and is positioned to retake the Republican Palace, which was stormed by RSF fighters early in the conflict in an effort to assassinate military chief Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan.
In addition to losing ground in Khartoum, the RSF has faced defeats in other regions, including losing control of Wad Medani, the capital of Gezira province. The military has also regained control of the nation’s largest oil refinery, further bolstering its position in the ongoing conflict. Although these developments suggest a shift of power in favor of the military, the war shows no signs of abating as it nears the two-year mark. Efforts at international mediation have failed to halt hostilities, even amid growing concerns about allegations of genocide against the RSF and its allies.
Storm clouds loom over Sudan’s governance landscape as the RSF and its supporters have signed a charter to establish a rival government aimed at competing with the military-backed administration, raising fears of a possible national division.
Aside from the conflict, the nation is grappling with a cholera outbreak, which has recently spread to Rabak, the provincial capital of White Nile province. Health officials report that the disease has claimed at least eight lives and affected dozens more, following its emergence in Kosti, another city in White Nile province.
Between Thursday and Saturday, at least 58 cholera-related deaths were recorded in Kosti, with around 1,300 individuals diagnosed with the illness. To combat the outbreak, an anti-cholera vaccination initiative in both Kosti and Rabak has reportedly reached 67% of its targeted population over recent days.
The choleral health crisis has been primarily attributed to contaminated drinking water exacerbated by damage to Kosti’s water supply infrastructure due to RSF attacks. The facility has since been repaired as part of the government’s efforts to control the outbreak, which poses significant health risks. Cholera, highly contagious and often fatal without prompt treatment, spreads through the consumption of contaminated food or water, as per guidelines from the World Health Organization.
In Sudan, choleral outbreaks have become a recurring issue, with over 600 fatalities and more than 21,000 infections reported between July and October of last year, predominantly affecting the eastern regions where many individuals displaced by the ongoing conflict have sought refuge.
