Sudan army recaptures town in push for Al Jazirah capital

January 10, 2025 (UM AL-QURA) – The Sudanese army and allied forces recaptured the town of Um al-Qura on Friday after three days of fighting against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the army said.

Um al-Qura is located 40 km (25 miles) east of Wad Madani, the capital of Al Jazirah state, which the RSF seized in December.

The army’s Shield of Sudan forces also took control of the Wad al-Abyad area, 20 km (12 miles) from the Hantoub Bridge.

Clashes in Um al-Qura first erupted on December 7, when the army’s allied Sudan Shield Forces (SSF) under the command of Abu Aqla Keikl seized the town before the RSF retook it again on the same day.

“We have taken control of the Um al-Qura area and defeated the militias,” Keikl, SSF commander, said on Friday.

The army has launched a wider operation to retake Wad Madani. On Wednesday, army forces advancing from Sennar state reached the town of Haj Abdallah, south of Wad Madani, while other forces reached the outskirts of Beka, 13 km (8 miles) west of the city.

The RSF has been accused of abuses against civilians in areas under its control in the central Sudan region, including killings, looting and rape.