Sudanese army battles RSF in Kordofan as displaced civilians endure worsening hardship

The Sudanese army is engaged in fighting against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on multiple fronts in North and West Kordofan as tens of thousands of civilians continue to flee the escalating violence.

According to the Doha-based Al Jazeera television on Sunday, clashes have raged on west of Al Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan, and Babnousa, a key city in West Kordofan, and in several northern towns in the state.

Babnousa holds strategic significance due to its proximity to key oil fields and transport routes linking Darfur and South Kordofan. Al Obeid, on the other hand, functions as a central logistics hub for UN and humanitarian agencies, and ongoing clashes around the city have severely disrupted aid delivery.

Military sources told Al Jazeera that RSF fighters used drones and artillery to attack army positions in Babnousa.

Muawia Mohamed, head of emergency operations at the Humanitarian Aid Commission in White Nile State, said the region has recently received more than 16,000 newly displaced people fleeing North Kordofan and parts of Darfur.

Displacement numbers rising sharply

He added that the White Nile State is now hosting over two million displaced civilians, with the numbers rising sharply as battles widen.

The representative of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Sudan, Sheldon Yett, said there are no enough capabilities to cover the needs of those fleeing from Al Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state, which was captured by the RSF last month.

Yett noted that many children have witnessed atrocities committed against their families in Al Fasher and surrounding areas.

Since April 2023, the Sudanese army and the RSF have been locked in a war that regional and international mediations have failed to end. The conflict has killed thousands of people and displaced millions of others.