Fighting erupts between Sudanese army and RSF in Kordofan’s Babanusa

June 16, 2025 (BABANUSA) – Clashes broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Babanusa of West Kordofan state on Monday, residents and military sources said, ending more than a year of relative calm in the area.

The fighting centred on the headquarters of the army’s 22nd Infantry Division. Both sides used various types of weaponry, including drones, by both the RSF and the army, targeting opposing positions in and around the city.

The latest confrontation shatters a lull in ground fighting that had held since the army repelled a week-long RSF assault on the city in January 2024. Following that engagement, RSF troops withdrew and held positions in nearby cities, including the state capital Al-Fulah.

A military source told Sudan Tribune that the RSF had amassed a large number of fighters, some from the Darfur region, in the three weeks leading up to Monday’s attack. RSF-affiliated social media platforms showed videos of its soldiers in Babanusa neighbourhoods and at government facilities.

The RSF controls most of West Kordofan, a key state in Sudan’s oil-producing region. The army, however, has maintained control of Babanusa and some oil fields in the Heglig area. The region borders South Sudan and has seen tribal leaders previously attempt to keep the conflict out of their territory.