Intense fighting has flared once again in central Sudan, where the Sudanese army and its allied forces are claiming fresh advances against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The most recent clashes, concentrated around the city of Bara and west of El-Obeid in North Kordofan State, unfolded on November 22, 2025, marking a significant escalation in a conflict that has already killed thousands and displaced millions across the country.
According to MENAFN, the Sudanese army released footage showing heavy combat west of Bara, indicating that government forces had managed to breach the RSF’s initial defensive lines. Military sources, speaking to Anadolu, confirmed that the army’s offensive extended into the strategic Um Samima area—located roughly 50 kilometers west of El-Obeid and serving as a critical link between North and West Kordofan states. These advances, they noted, were achieved through coordinated attacks using both heavy and light weaponry, targeting RSF positions in and around Um Samima and pushing further along the axis west of Al-Khuwayyi in West Kordofan, approximately 100 kilometers from El-Obeid.
The fighting in Kordofan is more than a mere skirmish; analysts cited by Anadolu suggest it represents a calculated step by the army toward the RSF-controlled Darfur region. The stakes are high: the RSF currently holds all five states of Darfur in western Sudan, while the army retains control of most of the remaining 13 states, including the capital, Khartoum, and much of the country’s south, north, east, and central regions.
But the RSF is not without its own victories. The group reported wins in North Kordofan’s Jabal Abu Sunun, Jabal Issa, and Al-Ayyara areas, underscoring the see-saw nature of the conflict. On October 26, 2025, the RSF seized control of El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, in a move that local and international organizations have described as catastrophic for civilians. Reports from these organizations confirm that the RSF committed massacres of civilians during their takeover of El-Fasher, further compounding an already dire humanitarian crisis.
The human cost of the war is staggering. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reports that more than 140,000 civilians have fled El-Fasher and parts of North Kordofan since late October, driven out by RSF attacks and the general collapse of security. These numbers add to the millions already uprooted since the conflict erupted on April 15, 2023, when a political dispute between Sudan’s military and the RSF spiraled into open warfare. The violence has not only killed thousands but has also produced what many observers now call one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters.
The border triangle connecting Sudan with Egypt and Libya has also seen renewed action. According to MENAFN, the army destroyed RSF combat vehicles in this strategic area, calling the strikes "a new blow to the group amid escalating clashes." The destruction of RSF assets in such a sensitive region signals the army’s intent to disrupt RSF supply lines and limit their operational reach beyond Sudan’s borders.
On November 18, 2025, the army announced what it called significant progress on multiple fighting fronts in the Kordofan states. This announcement, widely covered by Anadolu, was interpreted by analysts as a move designed to shift the momentum of the conflict in favor of the army and possibly pave the way for a broader campaign to retake Darfur from RSF control. Whether this momentum can be sustained remains to be seen, especially as both sides continue to report victories and counteroffensives.
For civilians caught in the crossfire, the situation is nothing short of desperate. The mass displacement from El-Fasher and North Kordofan has overwhelmed humanitarian organizations, which are struggling to provide food, shelter, and medical care to the flood of new arrivals. Many of those fleeing have recounted harrowing journeys through active combat zones, with little more than the clothes on their backs. The United Nations and other agencies have repeatedly warned that the ongoing violence is pushing Sudan toward the brink of famine and societal collapse.
Meanwhile, the broader strategic picture continues to shift. The RSF’s grip on Darfur remains firm, bolstered by their control of key urban centers and supply routes. The army, for its part, is leveraging its hold over Khartoum and much of the country’s heartland to mount increasingly bold offensives in the west. The battle for Kordofan is, in many ways, a microcosm of the larger war—an unpredictable and brutal contest for territory, resources, and political survival.
Both sides have sought to portray themselves as protectors of the nation, but the reality on the ground tells a different story. Civilians are bearing the brunt of the violence, with entire communities uprooted and longstanding social bonds fraying under the strain of displacement and loss. The international community has called for an immediate ceasefire and a return to dialogue, but so far, diplomatic efforts have failed to produce any meaningful breakthrough.
As the conflict grinds on, the prospect of a negotiated settlement appears increasingly remote. The army’s recent gains in Kordofan, while significant, have not translated into a decisive shift in the balance of power. The RSF’s continued hold on Darfur, coupled with their ability to stage counterattacks in contested areas, suggests that the war is far from over. For many Sudanese, the hope is simply to survive another day—a grim testament to the enduring toll of a conflict that shows no sign of abating.
The world watches as Sudan’s tragedy unfolds, with each new battle line redrawing the map of a nation in turmoil. Whether the latest advances by the army in Kordofan will mark a turning point or merely another chapter in a protracted and devastating war remains an open—and deeply troubling—question.
