Army reaches Kadugli, ending two-year siege
February 3, 2026 (KADUGLI) – The Sudanese army and its allies in the Joint Forces and Special Action Forces on Tuesday reached the city of Kadugli, ending a siege of the South Kordofan state capital that had lasted for more than two years.
Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Sudan’s army chief and head of the Sovereign Council, congratulated the public on the military’s progress in the region. He confirmed the army’s intent to push further toward Darfur.
Speaking to reporters from the national television headquarters in Omdurman on Tuesday, Burhan said he would not accept a ceasefire while the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continued to occupy Sudanese cities. He added that while he welcomed peace initiatives, the cost would not be “selling the blood of the Sudanese people.”
The army’s arrival in Kadugli follows the lifting of the siege on Dilling a week ago, after government forces recaptured the Habila locality and several villages in Al-Quz.
The military launched a major offensive earlier this week to reach the state capital, fighting intense battles against the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) and the RSF along the main highway between Kadugli and Dilling. During the advance, the army seized control of the towns of Al-Samasim and Al-Karkal.
Military sources told Sudan Tribune that the Al-Sayyad mobile force, comprising the 16th Infantry Division from Nyala, paramilitary volunteers and Joint Forces elements, entered the city following clashes in Al-Taqatu and Al-Kuwaik.
The army bypassed advanced defensive positions held by the RSF and the SPLM-N in Al-Kuwaik, north of Kadugli, before moving into the city centre, the sources said.
The arrival of the troops marks the end of a months-long blockade enforced by both the RSF and the SPLM-N.
Thousands of residents gathered at the Al-Sha’ir gate, the western entrance to the city, to welcome the troops. Others lined the streets leading to the main market, government offices and the 14th Infantry Division headquarters.
The end of the siege will allow traders and aid agencies to transport food and supplies from northern Sudan and Khartoum through Al-Rahad in North Kordofan to Dilling. However, the road connecting Dilling to the North Kordofan capital, El Obeid, remains under RSF control.
The blockade has caused famine-like conditions in Kadugli. According to United Nations data, approximately 147,000 people, or 80% of the population, have been displaced from the city. Dilling has faced similar humanitarian conditions.
Both cities have been subjected to persistent drone and artillery fire from the RSF and the SPLM-N as they sought to seize control. The shelling has frequently struck residential areas and healthcare facilities.