The key facts

  • Sudan's army took Hamarat, Markab and Umm Uwaysha east of El-Nuhud
  • El-Nuhud, the second-largest city in West Kordofan, remains under RSF control
  • The conflict since April 2023 has killed tens of thousands and displaced nearly 13 million people, according to UN estimates

Advance east of El-Nuhud

Sudan's army and allied forces took control of three districts and several villages east of El-Nuhud in West Kordofan state on Saturday, military sources reported. These are Hamarat, Markab and Umm Uwaysha; soldiers and fighters of allied formations posted videos on social media of troops entering Hamarat and Umm Uwaysha. According to the sources, the army continues advancing toward El-Nuhud itself — the second-largest city in the state, which remains under the control of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The RSF has not commented on reports of the army's advance.

A series of army successes over the week

The advance is a continuation of a series of army operations in this area. According to Sudanese officials, on Friday, after fighting with the RSF, the army and allied forces took Al-Huweiz, located roughly 100 km from El-Nuhud. Earlier, on 7 November, the army captured Ayal-Bakhit northwest of Al-Huweiz. Fighting between the army and the RSF in North, West and South Kordofan states has intensified since 25 October last year.

Scale of the conflict

The conflict between Sudan's army and the RSF began in April 2023. According to UN estimates, it has claimed the lives of tens of thousands of people, and the number of displaced persons has reached nearly 13 million. The fate of El-Nuhud itself remains a key question of the current stage of the confrontation in West Kordofan: the city is still held by the RSF, while the army is approaching it from the east.