Conflicting claims over control of vital North Kordofan area
RSF fighters flee the Joint Force troops (unseen) outside Um Sumaima, North Darfur, on July 13, 2025
July 13, 2025 (UM SUMAIMA,) – Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and a joint force of armed movements allied with the army on Sunday exchanged claims of control over the strategic town of Um Sumaima, west of El Obeid in North Kordofan state.
The conflicting assertions underscore the intense fighting underway as the RSF seeks to tighten its encirclement of El Obeid. The RSF aims to control Um Sumaima, a strategically vital location, to complete its blockade of El Obeid from three directions.
The paramilitary forces are already positioned in Kazgail to the south and Bara to the north, both relatively close to El Obeid. If successful, this would leave the army with only one access point connecting it to White Nile State and, eventually, the capital, Khartoum.
RSF claimed control, heavy losses for army
Earlier on Sunday, an RSF spokesperson announced their forces “controlled Um Sumaima after fierce battles against the army and its allied armed movements,” claiming to have inflicted “heavy losses in lives and military equipment” on the armed forces.
RSF-affiliated platforms broadcast video clips purportedly showing their deployment in the area and showcasing captured military equipment and bodies.
Joint Force says it repelled attack, reclaimed town
However, shortly after the RSF’s announcement, Darfur Region Governor Minni Arko Minnawi declared the city had been recaptured.
In a subsequent statement, Ahmed Hussein Mustafa, spokesperson for the “Joint Force of Armed Movements,” asserted that “rebel militias, driven by regional support and under the direct supervision of their second commander,” had amassed a “massive force weeks ago with the aim of overthrowing El Obeid.”
Mustafa added that “the Joint Force was fully prepared and vigilant, bravely and capably confronting this oppressive force.”
He noted that “upon receiving news of the attack on Um Sumaima, our valiant forces immediately moved and engaged the militia in a fierce battle that, after hours of intense fighting, ended with their complete defeat and control over the area and its surroundings.”
“Their fleeing remnants were forced into a humiliating retreat, leaving behind the bodies of their dead and large quantities of military equipment,” Mustafa stated.
He claimed the capture of 22 combat vehicles and the destruction or burning of more than 18 others, as well as the killing of “a large number of soldiers and officers” from the RSF.
Um Sumaima attack coincides with RSF reinforcements
The attack on Um Sumaima, located about 60 kilometres (37 miles) west of El Obeid, coincides with the arrival of significant military reinforcements for the RSF from Darfur and West Kordofan. These forces are concentrated in the areas of Bara, Al-Mazroub, and Kazgail, with military sources indicating their intention to launch a widespread attack targeting El Obeid.
The shifting of military confrontations to the vicinity of El Obeid could impede the Sudanese army’s efforts to advance towards the Darfur region from Kordofan and end the ongoing siege on El Fasher.
In recent weeks, the RSF has intensified its artillery and drone attacks, targeting civilian and military sites within El Obeid, resulting in civilian casualties and extensive damage to homes and service facilities.