The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have announced they have seized control of the 22nd Division headquarters and the entire strategic city of Babanusa in West Kordofan. This announcement comes as the Chairman of the Transitional Sovereignty Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, demanded the dismantling of the paramilitary group.
RSF soldiers have circulated images purportedly taken inside the captured military base. Babanusa is a vital transit point between Khartoum and the Darfur region, and has been the scene of intense clashes in recent weeks after the army announced reinforcements were being sent to repel repeated RSF attacks.
Conversely, a spokesperson for the West Kordofan government asserted that the army and supporting forces are making “significant progress on all fronts,” adding that the air force has conducted “successful strikes” against RSF positions.
In North Kordofan, a senior Sudanese army source stated that army forces have managed to secure the area between the cities of El Obeid and al-Khawi in preparation for advancing towards the city of al-Nuhud.
Fierce Battles in South Kordofan
South Kordofan, particularly towns within the Abbasiya Tagali locality, is witnessing fierce battles between the army and the RSF. The delivery of humanitarian aid to affected areas remains severely hampered.
In recent developments, at least 40 people were reportedly killed in an airstrike on the Komo area in the Heiban locality on Saturday, according to local and human rights sources. The RSF, in a statement on Sunday, accused the army of targeting the Komo area in South Kordofan/Nuba Mountains on Saturday morning. The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), allied with the RSF, claimed that the bombardment included the town of Kauda and surrounding areas.
The Emergency Lawyers Group reported that “the army targeted the Hakima High Nursing School in the Komo area of Heiban locality in South Kordofan in an airstrike on Saturday, resulting in dozens of student casualties and severe injuries to others.” Citizens reported witnessing the burial of 40 bodies in the town on the same day.
The Sudanese army has denied targeting civilians or civilian infrastructure. Al-Burhan has stated that the army will not accept any solution that allows the militia to remain in its current locations.
