Sudan Army Recaptures Strategic Al-Sodari City Amidst Escalating Conflict
According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, the Sudanese army has asserted full control over the strategically important city of Al-Sodari in North Kordofan, as reported by Al Jazeera via Al-Mehr News Agency. This significant advance by the army follows a separate incident where a drone attack on civilian positions in El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan, claimed two lives and left twenty others injured. Sudanese authorities have attributed this attack to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Al-Sodari, one of the largest districts in North Kordofan by area, holds considerable strategic value due to its role as a crucial land connector. It links the western Darfur region, the northern states, and routes leading to the capital city, Khartoum. The North Kordofan government stated that the RSF targeted positions in El Obeid with a drone, accusing the paramilitary group of violating international humanitarian law and committing war crimes against civilians. The government further elaborated that the attack specifically targeted displaced persons who had sought refuge in shelters to escape human rights abuses and attacks by the RSF in their home areas.
Sudanese officials and human rights organizations have consistently accused the RSF of targeting civilian areas and infrastructure. Conversely, the RSF maintains that it is working to protect civilians. El Obeid and other parts of North Kordofan have experienced a surge in drone attacks in recent months.
In a related development, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported on Friday that over 55,000 individuals have fled to neighboring Chad this year alone due to the ongoing conflict in Sudan. Mamadou Dian Baldé, the UNHCR’s regional coordinator for the Sudan crisis, informed reporters in Nairobi that this figure represents an approximately twenty-fold increase compared to previous months. The UNHCR has expressed grave concern regarding the deteriorating situation in the Darfur, Kordofan, and Blue Nile states, where fighting persists and security remains precarious.
Reports from the UN and international organizations highlight the worsening refugee crisis in eastern Chad, with the number of Sudanese refugees exceeding one million. Daily arrivals continue through major border crossings. The UNHCR has emphasized that a critical shortage of international funding is exacerbating the risk of basic services collapse and worsening living conditions for refugees, many of whom are suffering from severe food and healthcare deficiencies.
