Sudanese army reopens key highway Sennar- Sinjah

November 25, 2024 (SENNAR) – The Sudanese army said on Monday it had fully secured Sinjah, the capital of Sennar state, and reopened the main highway linking it to the city of Sennar, marking a significant victory in its fight against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Sinjah fell to the RSF in June during a rapid advance across the country. Subsequently, the army turned Sennar city into its main base in the area.

After heavy fighting, the army recaptured Sinjah on November 23 and announced on Monday that it had cleared the surrounding areas and reopened the highway.

“The armed forces have completed the final phase of liberating Sinjah … and we announce the opening of the national highway linking (it) with the city of Sennar,” Major Fath al-Alim al-Shobli, the army commander in charge of operations in Sennar state, said in a video statement.

He added that the road linking the town of Mayirno, south of Sennar, to Sinjah, was now secure.

The army’s advance involved pushing the RSF out of Mayirno and surrounding villages, including Al-Nouraniya, Tayba Al-Lawain, Al-Marfa’a, and Umm Shuka, where the RSF had been accused of committing abuses against civilians.

The army had already cut off an RSF supply route in the area on October 5 by retaking the Muya mountain range.

The RSF still controls areas bordering South Sudan, including the localities of Al-Dali and Al-Mazmoum, as well as parts of Blue Nile state.