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Hemedti, Lavrov Agree on Activating Agreements Between Sudan, Russia

Hemedti and Lavrov meet in Moscow on Thursday. (Twitter)
Hemedti and Lavrov meet in Moscow on Thursday. (Twitter)
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Hemedti, Lavrov Agree on Activating Agreements Between Sudan, Russia

Hemedti and Lavrov meet in Moscow on Thursday. (Twitter)
Hemedti and Lavrov meet in Moscow on Thursday. (Twitter)

Sudan’s Foreign Ministry denied on Thursday statements attributed to deputy head of its sovereign council in which he expressed support to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to recognize the independence of two Ukrainian regions.

The remarks made by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, a few hours before the Russian invasion of Ukraine “were taken out of context,” the foreign ministry stressed in a statement.

“Russia has the right to act in the interests of its citizens and protect its people under the constitution and the law,” Hemedti said during a visit to Moscow.

He hoped that a peaceful and diplomatic solution would be reached for the crisis.

Hemedti was in Moscow on Thursday for talks with Russian government officials. He led a delegation that included Finance Minister Gibril Ibrahim and senior energy and trade officials.

He held talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and discussed bolstering bilateral cooperation in the political, diplomatic, economic and trade fields.

They also held consultations on bilateral, regional and international issues of common interest.

Hemedti said the talks helped establish a new understandings that will advance joint action to benefit from the great opportunities Sudan offers in the agricultural, mining, manufacturing industries, oil and gas and other economic fields.

Both sides agreed to expedite the activation of existing agreements between their countries and hold meetings of the joint ministerial committee.

Lavrov, for his part, said his country is aware of the importance of the current developments in Sudan and the ability of the Sudanese to resolve their problems.

He urged all parties not to interfere in Sudan’s affairs and underlined the deep Russian-Sudanese relations that are based on mutual respect.

Russia is keen to raise the level of cooperation with Sudan in the fields of energy, agriculture, mining, and environmental protection, Lavrov stressed.

He called for removing the obstacles hindering the flow of Russian investments, including investment laws, pointing to the readiness of Russian companies to invest in Sudan.

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Sudan War Intensifies Across Kordofan’s Three States

War between the army and Rapid Support Forces has destroyed much of Sudan’s infrastructure. (AFP)
War between the army and Rapid Support Forces has destroyed much of Sudan’s infrastructure. (AFP)
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Sudan War Intensifies Across Kordofan’s Three States

War between the army and Rapid Support Forces has destroyed much of Sudan’s infrastructure. (AFP)
War between the army and Rapid Support Forces has destroyed much of Sudan’s infrastructure. (AFP)

Fighting between Sudan’s army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has flared in the central Kordofan region, home to some of the country’s largest oil fields, including Heglig, Abu Jabra, and Balila.

The city of El-Obeid, the region’s largest urban center and capital of North Kordofan, was hit by drone strikes early Monday, triggering panic among residents. Multiple sites were targeted in the attack, which comes amid escalating clashes and troop build-ups across the region’s three states.

Local sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that drones struck the eastern neighborhood of Al-Radeef, wounding several civilians. One source said a drone was spotted flying over the Sudanese army’s 5th Infantry Division.

The battlefront shifted westward to Kordofan following the army’s full takeover of the capital Khartoum, where the conflict had raged since breaking out more than two years ago. Now, the three Kordofan states, North, South and West, are the focus of renewed violence as both parties vie for control.

The RSF has stepped up its offensive in Sudan’s North Kordofan, targeting the strategic city of El-Obeid with drone strikes as part of a broader push following the withdrawal of army troops and allied forces from nearby towns, including Al-Khuwei, Al-Debeibat and Al-Hammadi.

The RSF’s maneuvers have allowed it to surround El-Obeid from three directions, exposing significant vulnerabilities in the army’s air defense systems. The latest attack underscores the RSF’s increasing reliance on combat drones, which have been deployed in several battles across the Kordofan region in recent weeks.

Military sources said the nearest RSF-controlled area is the town of Bara, less than 50 kilometers northeast of El-Obeid. The paramilitary group is also reported to have a strong presence in Al-Khuwei, Al-Hammadi, and Kazgeil, all located near the embattled city.

In West Kordofan, fierce clashes continue in the town of Babanusa, where the Sudanese army’s 22nd Infantry Division is headquartered. The division has lost control of three key garrisons in Al-Nuhud, Al-Fula, and the oil-rich area of Heglig amid the RSF’s westward advances.

The RSF said on Monday it now controls the entire town of Babanusa in West Kordofan and is encircling the 22nd Infantry Division from multiple directions, claiming the fall of the strategic town is “only a matter of time.”

Babanusa lies along the key Western Salvation Road, a vital artery linking the capital Khartoum to the Kordofan and Darfur regions. Control of the route has become a major objective for both sides: the army views it as a pathway for advancing into Darfur, while the RSF sees it as a forward defensive line and potential springboard for a renewed push on Khartoum.

West Kordofan, which borders South Sudan and contains most of Sudan’s oil fields, has emerged as one of the fiercest battlegrounds in the war. The state includes around 15 localities and has seen intensifying combat as both sides vie for control of critical infrastructure and territory.

Meanwhile, the army is attempting to drive the RSF out of northern and southern pockets of the state to lift the siege on South Kordofan.

In South Kordofan, clashes have intensified between the army, the RSF, and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu. The army briefly regained control of the towns of Al-Debeibat and Al-Hammadi in an effort to relieve pressure on Dilling and Kadugli, but the RSF later retook the areas, prolonging the deadlock in the region.

Sudanese army forces are fending off ongoing attempts by the RSF to storm El-Fasher, the largest city in the Darfur region, a senior military official said.

Major General Mohamed Ahmed Al-Khader, commander of the army’s 6th Infantry Division, said the military has been repelling RSF assaults on the city for over a year.

Witnesses told Asharq Al-Awsat that army units have launched targeted operations around El-Fasher to push back RSF fighters from the city’s outskirts.