Sudan military said late Monday it had broken a nearly two-year siege imposed by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on a strategic town in the Kordofan region, reopening vital supply routes and securing a significant battlefield gain.
In a statement, the army said its forces had reopened a main road into Dilling, a town in South Kordofan province that had been cut off during the prolonged blockade.
“Our forces inflicted heavy losses on the enemy in personnel and equipment,” the military said, without providing further details.
There was no immediate response from the RSF, which has been fighting Sudan’s army for control of the country for nearly three years.
Strategic Importance of Dilling
Dilling sits between Kadugli, the besieged state capital, and El-Obeid, the capital of neighbouring North Kordofan province. The RSF has sought to encircle El-Obeid as part of its broader campaign in the region.
Reporting from Khartoum, Al Jazeera correspondent Hiba Morgan described the capture of Dilling as a “very significant gain” for the army that could pave the way for further advances.
She said the military may now attempt to push against both the RSF and its ally, the SPLM-N, led by Abdel Aziz al-Hilu, which controls territory in South Kordofan.
Risk of Counteroffensive
Morgan warned that RSF fighters were likely to regroup and attempt to retake Dilling, possibly redeploying forces from El-Obeid and Kadugli.
Despite the risk of renewed fighting, she said the reopening of supply routes could bring immediate humanitarian relief to the town.
“The army can now bring in food, medicine and commercial goods that were blocked during the siege,” Morgan said, adding that conditions for civilians could improve in the short term.
Wider Conflict and Humanitarian Crisis
After being pushed out of Khartoum in March, the RSF shifted its focus to Kordofan and El-Fasher, which had been the army’s last major stronghold in the Darfur region until it fell to the RSF in October.
The takeover of El-Fasher was followed by reports of mass killings, sexual violence, abductions and looting. The International Criminal Court has since opened a formal investigation into alleged war crimes committed by both sides.
Dilling has faced acute food shortages, although the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification stopped short of declaring famine there in a November report, citing insufficient data.
A UN-backed assessment last year confirmed famine conditions in Kadugli, which had been under RSF siege for more than 18 months.
Displacement on a Massive Scale
More than 65,000 people have fled the Kordofan region since October, according to the latest United Nations figures.
The war has killed tens of thousands and triggered what the UN describes as the world’s largest displacement and hunger crisis, with up to 14 million people forced from their homes at the peak of the conflict.