Sudanese army, allied forces claim control of a strategic town in North Kordofan
September 26, 2025 (EL-OBEID) – The Sudanese army and allied armed groups said on Friday they had recaptured the strategic town of Umm Sumeima in North Kordofan, but the rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF) said it had repelled the attack.
Field sources told Sudan Tribune that the army and its allies pushed RSF fighters out of Umm Sumeima, about 50 km west of the state capital El-Obeid, and pursued them to the outskirts of Al-Khuway, a town 100 km to the west.
Control of Umm Sumeima, which lies on a key route between North and West Kordofan states, has changed hands several times. The RSF has used the town as a base to launch attacks on El-Obeid.
The RSF said in a statement it had inflicted “heavy losses in lives and equipment” on the attacking forces and that its troops remained in their positions. The statement did not comment on which side held Umm Sumeima.
A spokesperson for the Sudanese army has not yet commented on the operations.
Fierce fighting has been reported along the western front of El-Obeid since Thursday evening. Sources close to the RSF said their forces had fought off an attack by the joint force on the village of Al-Ayyara on Thursday.
The army’s advance in Kordofan is part of a broader military goal to secure the route towards Al-Nuhud in West Kordofan and from there, push into Darfur to break the RSF siege on El-Fasher.
The joint force, a coalition of armed groups allied with the army, stated in a press release that “military operations are proceeding according to the established plans.”
Minni Arko Minawi, governor of the Darfur region, praised the advance on his Facebook account, calling it “a new heroic epic” and “a clear message that Sudan… is capable of defeating the militias.”
In a separate development, the Dar Hamar Emergency Room, a local civil society group, stated on Thursday that the RSF had converted a customs building in the area into a detention centre and called for international action to investigate the alleged abuses.