Sudan’s army airdrops supplies to besieged base in West Kordofan

July 19, 2025 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s army on Saturday airdropped weapons, ammunition and food to a besieged base in Babanusa, West Kordofan, a move military observers said suggests it is regaining air superiority in the strategic region.

The army’s 22nd Division base in Babanusa has been surrounded for months by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which has failed to capture the city despite launching a multi-day assault in June. Most of the city’s residents have fled the fighting.

In a statement, the division confirmed it had received a “successful parachute drop… with a 100% complete recovery,” according to a copy seen by Sudan Tribune.

The operation was the second such airdrop in three weeks, following a months-long pause in resupply missions to the base.

The RSF controls most of West Kordofan state, including its capital Al-Fulah, but the army holds Babanusa and key oil fields in the nearby Heglig area.

The fighting in the region has continued despite opposition from local leaders of the Misseriya tribe, who in 2024 formally asked the RSF not to bring the war to their areas, which border South Sudan.