Sudan army seizes villages from SPLM-N rebels in first gains since 2023
November 30, 2025 (AL-ABBASIYA, South Kordofan) – Sudan’s army has recaptured several villages in South Kordofan state from a rebel group that has controlled them since 2011, videos verified by local media showed on Sunday, marking the military’s first significant advance in the region since the war began last year.
The army took control of at least seven areas previously held by the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), led by Abdel Aziz al-Hilu, according to videos posted by soldiers and pro-army activists on social media.
Sudan Tribune verified footage showing army forces in Al-Damra, west of Al-Abbasiya Taqali. Other videos showed troops advancing toward Tabassa and Gurdud Nama, potentially encircling SPLM-N fighters in Al-Mureib town.
Pro-army activists said the offensive had secured Tabassa, Al-Damira, Al-Shawaya, Al-Jubailat, Al-Sanadra, Gurdud and Jama – all previously under SPLM-N control for more than a decade.
The simultaneous operations across Al-Abbasiya, Abu Karshola and Hibeila localities represent the army’s first major push in the area since the conflict erupted between the military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in April 2023.
Recent days have seen fighting in the Kartala area of the Nuba Mountains between the army, SPLM-N and allied RSF forces. The International Organization for Migration said 1,625 people had been displaced from Kartala to scattered locations in Dalami locality due to worsening security.
“The situation remains tense and highly volatile,” the U.N. migration agency said in a statement.
If successful in retaking key areas in Hibeila, the army could advance from El-Obeid in North Kordofan to Kadugli via Al-Delling, a strategic corridor that would help break a siege imposed by SPLM-N and RSF forces on Al-Delling.
Babanusa under attack
In West Kordofan state, RSF forces intensified attacks on army positions in Babanusa on Sunday, using drones and heavy artillery to shell the 22nd Infantry Division headquarters and the 89th Brigade, military sources told Sudan Tribune.
The RSF has besieged Babanusa since early 2024 and launched three waves of attacks, including the current assault, which has continued for about two weeks.
The SPLM-N has fought for autonomy in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states for decades. The group split in 2017, with one faction led by al-Hilu maintaining an armed rebellion while another signed a peace deal with the government in 2020.
Sudan’s conflict between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo has killed tens of thousands and displaced more than 10 million people since April 2023.