PORT SUDAN: Fighting escalated in southern Sudan’s North Kordofan region on Tuesday, with locals in the capital El-Obeid reporting that a paramilitary drone exploded near an army division headquarters. The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been fighting Sudan’s army since April 2023, taking El-Fasher, the last military bastion in Darfur, western Sudan, in late October.
The invasion in Darfur was accompanied by tales of mass executions, sexual violence, abductions, and looting, prompting growing international calls for a truce. However, the RSF’s win in Darfur has allowed its forces to focus more on the oil-rich southern region.
One resident of El-Obeid, who spoke to AFP anonymously for fear of retaliation, reported seeing “smoke rising from the area” following a strike on the army’s 5th Division base. Another witness claimed hearing a detonation before seeing “clouds of smoke” rise from the military base.
El-Obeid, located about 400 kilometres (250 miles) southwest of Khartoum, has an airport and is on a major supply route connecting Darfur and the capital. There has also been renewed battle 400 kilometers southwest of El-Obeid near Babanusa, the army’s last stronghold in West Kordofan. The RSF posted video footage on Tuesday that appeared to show its fighters inside the 22nd Infantry Division facility, which serves as the city’s army headquarters.
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