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SAF’s Strategic Breakthrough in South Kordofan
The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) are on the brink of lifting the protracted siege on Dilling, South Kordofan, following their recent capture of the strategic town of Al-Debeibat, about 50 kilometers north.
Since the onset of hostilities in 2023, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), in collaboration with allies from the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu, have maintained a tight grip on territories around Dilling, effectively severing SAF’s supply and reinforcement lines from North Kordofan and Khartoum.
A recent coordinated offensive launched by SAF from the northern town of Al-Hamadi on the Al-Obeid–Kadugli road has seen SAF forces pushing southward, culminating in the capture of Al-Debeibat after overcoming scattered RSF defenses.
This victory extends SAF control along a continuous stretch from Al-Obeid to the outskirts of Dilling, a move military analysts are calling a “strategic breakthrough” in the battle for the Nuba Mountains frontline.
Local sources in Al-Khawai, a town recently retaken by SAF in neighboring West Kordofan, reported that dozens of RSF fighters surrendered near Al-Debeibat as government troops advanced.
“Several RSF units have capitulated in the face of SAF’s robust offensive in South Kordofan,” said a SAF spokesperson, confirming the surrenders within the Kordofan Axis, though no specific location was detailed.
The advances in South Kordofan are part of a wider multi-front campaign by SAF, which has led to substantial territorial gains across North Darfur, West Kordofan, and southern Omdurman over the past three weeks.
In North Darfur, SAF, supported by allied units from the Joint Force of former Darfur rebel movements, seized the strategic town of Al-Atrun, which includes a military garrison and an airstrip previously used by the RSF for drone strikes and smuggling operations into northern Sudan and Libya.
The capture of Al-Atrun disrupts a critical RSF logistics network in the desert and applies pressure on RSF positions further south.
In West Kordofan, the army reclaimed Al-Khawai, located about 100 kilometers east of Al-Nahud, which had become a regional hub after the fall of Al-Fula to the RSF in mid-2024.
The strategic town of Al-Nahud fell to the RSF on May 1, 2025, marking a significant blow to SAF operations aimed at opening the Al-Sadarat highway, a vital link between Kordofan and Darfur. This setback followed RSF’s territorial gains in Al-Maliha and the adjacent desert corridor, effectively cutting off SAF’s northern approach towards Melit and other key locations in the Darfur region.
However, SAF’s counter-offensive in the Kordofan region is now showing signs of momentum.
Meanwhile, SAF has secured Salha, a significant RSF stronghold in southern Omdurman, nearly two months after reclaiming central Khartoum. This victory disrupts RSF’s ability to conduct urban operations within the Khartoum tri-city area and signifies the end of paramilitary presence in central Sudan.
The proximity of SAF forces to Dilling holds symbolic and operational significance. The town, located at the northern entrance to the Nuba Mountains, hosts military bases and a large garrison that has been under siege for months.
Breaking the siege would not only allow SAF to resupply its encircled forces but could also pave the way for deeper operations into SPLM-N held territories towards Kadugli, the state capital of South Kordofan.
If successful, the ongoing operations could decisively tilt the balance of the conflict in favor of SAF in southern Sudan, after a year marked by RSF advances in urban centers and the western provinces.
Despite these gains, RSF remains entrenched in Al-Fasher, Nyala, Geneina, and large swathes of West Darfur, with the possibility of launching renewed offensives should SAF’s supply lines become overstretched.
