Fighting has intensified once again between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) across several fronts in the western Darfur region, as military tensions also mount around the city of El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan state, where both sides are reinforcing their positions.
Over the past two days, the Sudanese army and allied Joint Forces, a coalition of armed groups, have launched operations in West and North Darfur targeting strategic border areas as part of an effort to expand their battlefield presence and open new fronts.
Local sources said army units are advancing toward El Geneina, the capital of West Darfur, under the cover of warplanes that have carried out airstrikes on military positions inside the city. The advance marks one of the army’s most significant military gains in Darfur in months as fighting continues to spread across Sudan.
The renewed clashes come as attention remains focused on El Obeid, where military escalation has intensified amid continued drone attacks and troop buildups despite international calls for a ceasefire and restraint.
Former Sudanese army Chief of Staff Hashim Abdel Muttalib told Asharq Al-Awsat that the army and its allies had carried out what he described as a successful maneuver that returned the fighting to Darfur, reflecting a new phase in military planning. He said the army had regained the initiative and predicted further developments in the region, adding that recent advances in western and northern Darfur were part of plans previously announced by Assistant Commander-in-Chief Lt. Gen. Yasser Al-Atta.
On Monday, the Joint Forces announced they had seized the border town of Kulbus in West Darfur near Chad and said they remained in control of Tina, Karnoi, and Ambro in North Darfur.
The Sudanese army also said it had carried out operations across Darfur, Kordofan, and Blue Nile, inflicting heavy losses on the RSF. The paramilitary group did not immediately comment.
The El Fasher Resistance Committees Coordination, a local civic group, said in a Facebook statement that army forces were approaching El Geneina under the cover of airstrikes targeting military sites inside the city.
The RSF captured Kulbus and nearby towns in October 2025. The town lies about 140 kilometers (87 miles) from El Geneina.
Military analyst Abdullah Mohammed told Asharq Al-Awsat that the renewed fighting in Darfur could prolong and widen the conflict, pushing the war into a more violent phase. He said one of the main objectives of military campaigns is to cut an opponent’s supply lines and deny access to strategic positions, suggesting the army’s operations in West Darfur are aimed at regaining control of the border with Chad.
By contrast, Mohammed Al-Nayer, spokesman for the Sudan Liberation Army Movement, said it was too early to conclude that the war had shifted decisively back to Darfur. He described the operation in Kulbus as a temporary incursion by army-allied Joint Forces that lasted only a few hours before withdrawing after large RSF reinforcements arrived.
Al-Nayer said the objective was to tie down RSF forces in attritional battles inside Darfur, limiting their ability to sustain operations in Kordofan and Blue Nile.
