Sudanese army breaks part of SPLM-N siege on Dilling in South Kordofan

February 24, 2025 (DILLING)  – The Sudanese army on Monday partially broke a siege on the city of Al-Dilling in South Kordofan state, opening a key road to the state capital Kadugli after driving back Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) rebels, the military and a local source said.

Dilling, the second-largest city in South Kordofan, has been under a tight blockade since the early months of Sudan’s wider conflict. The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) control areas to the north and east of the town, blocking humanitarian and commercial access. The SPLM-N, led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu, controls territory to the west and south, restricting the flow of essential goods like sorghum and flour, which they deem strategic commodities only permitted within their areas.

A mobile army unit known as “Al-Sayyad” (The Hunter), operating in the Kordofan region, announced that the siege on Dilling had been “broken from the southern side,” and that forces from Kadugli had linked up with the army’s 54th Infantry Brigade in the Al-Samasim area.

On Sunday, the Sudanese army resumed military operations in South Kordofan. A force advancing from Kadugli captured the areas of Al-Karkal, Koli, and Kiqa before reaching Al-Samasim, the army said. Simultaneously, army units stationed in Dilling pushed south from early Sunday, taking control of Hajar Al-Jawad and Karkariya, and pushing back SPLM-N forces, it added.

In January 2024, Dilling faced intense attacks from the RSF, which attempted to seize the local military garrison. The army, supported by elements of the SPLM-N and local resistance groups, repelled the assault.

The prolonged fighting forced many residents of Dilling’s outlying neighbourhoods to flee to the city centre, fearing targeted attacks. The conflict has taken on a tribal dimension due to deep-seated ethnic polarization within Dilling.