November 2, 2023 (AL-FULA) – The Sudanese army announced on Thursday that it had retaken control of the Belila airport and oil field in West Kordofan State, days after an attack by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on the area.
On October 30, the RSF said they had taken control of the Belila airport following clashes with the Sudanese army. Concerns had arisen over potential damage to the oil infrastructure within the field. However, the Gathering of Oil Workers confirmed that the oil fields and the primary treatment facility had been safely shut down.
“The army regained control of the Balila airport and oil field and defeated the Rapid Support Forces at the two locations,” Sudanese army spokesman Nabil Abdallah told Sudan Tribune on Thursday.
Abdallah also accused the RSF of causing extensive damage to the airport and looting the offices of several oil companies that were operating in the area.
The Belila area is situated 55 kilometres southwest of Al-Fula, the capital of West Kordofan State. The oil field, before the outbreak of conflict, was producing approximately 22,000 barrels per day. However, production has significantly declined over the past seven months.
Petro-Energy, which manages the Belila field, is a consortium between the government-owned Sudapet and the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) established on September 26, 1995.
The field has previously been targeted in attacks by armed groups associated with the Misseriya tribe, who now joined with the RSF. The militiamen have claimed that the companies were not meeting their social responsibility obligations regarding funding for development projects and services.
The army, accompanied by a tribal militia, evacuated a large number of oil employees and engineers working in the Belila field to Al-Nahud in West Kordofan state on Wednesday in preparation for their transfer to their home states.
Hamad Safi Hamad, Commander of the Reserve Forces in the Al-Nahud sector, a tribal militia from the Hamar tribe, said that their forces, accompanied by the Sudanese army, secured the roads and evacuated workers in the oil fields to Al-Nahud on board 45 vehicles carrying 193 employees and workers, including oil site managers, engineers, and workers.
(ST)