The Sudanese army announced on Monday that its forces have broken the long-standing siege imposed by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on Dilling, a key city in South Kordofan state. The RSF had cut off access to the city for over eighteen months.
Sudan has been embroiled in a devastating war between the army and the RSF since April 2023, a conflict that has resulted in tens of thousands killed. The war has also created a severe humanitarian crisis, with the United Nations reporting 11 million people displaced and warning of the world’s largest hunger crisis.
In its statement, the army confirmed that its forces “succeeded in opening the Dilling road after carrying out a successful military operation,” and claimed to have inflicted “heavy losses” on the RSF.
If the army’s claims are verified, this development would secure its control over the northern and southern routes to Dilling. The city is strategically located between Kadugli, the besieged state capital, and El-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan, which the RSF has been attempting to encircle.
Social media videos, which could not be independently verified by AFP, showed army forces reportedly in Dilling, celebrating with cheering civilians. The RSF has not yet issued a comment on the army’s claims.
Army Offensive in Kordofan
This military push near Dilling is part of a broader army effort to counter a significant RSF advance across the Kordofan region. After capturing the army’s final base in western Darfur last October, the RSF, supported by local allies like the Abdelaziz al-Hilu faction of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North, shifted its operations eastward.
The paramilitary group has since consolidated its control over West Kordofan, captured Heglig, home to Sudan’s largest oil field, and intensified its siege of Kadugli.
A UN-supported assessment from last year confirmed famine conditions in Kadugli. The report suggested that conditions in Dilling were likely similar, though a formal declaration has been hindered by security and access constraints. The UN has repeatedly warned that atrocities documented during the RSF offensive in El-Fasher—including mass killings and sexual violence—could be repeated in Kordofan.
According to the latest UN figures, more than 65,000 people have fled the Kordofan region since October. Aid group Mercy Corps stated that those escaping, especially from South Kordofan, endure “long and uncertain journeys” that can last up to 30 days.
