Sudanese military claims to have broken RSF siege of Kordofan's regional capital

CAIRO (AP) — Sudanese troops on Tuesday broke a siege by Rapid Support Forces in the capital of the central region of Kordofan which was imposed by the paramilitary group on Kadugli early in the country’s nearly three-year of war, the miliary said.

The breakthrough in the largest town in South Kordofan province came during a “heroic battle” to open a crucial road between Kadugli and the neighboring town of Dilling, the military said.

“The remnants of the militia and its mercenaries were defeated under the crushing blows, suffering heavy losses in lives and equipment,” the military statement said.

There was no immediate comment from the RSF.

Footage circulated online showed Kadugli residents welcoming Sudanese troops as they entered the town.

“Congratulations to the people of Kadugli on the liberation of the city,” military leader Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan said in televised comments. “The armed forces will reach any place in Sudan.”

Sudan plunge into chaos in April 2023 when a power struggle between the military and the RSF exploded into open fighting in the capital, Khartoum and elsewhere in the country.

The war has killed more than 40,000 people, according to U.N. figures, but aid groups say that is an undercount and the true number could be many times higher.

The conflict created the world’s largest humanitarian crisis with over 14 million people forced to flee their homes. It fueled disease outbreaks and pushed parts of the country into famine, including Kadugli.

The miliary has advanced in South Kordofan in recent months. Last week the RSF siege of Dilling, the second largest town in the province.

Miji Park, a director of the Sudan With Mercy Corps aid group, said communities in and around Kadugli has been isolated, with a “near-total cut-off from essential services, and worsening humanitarian conditions.”

“These communities have survived years of hardship and cannot afford to be forgotten,” he said, and called for the international community to scale up humanitarian assistance to the region and “not to wait for perfect conditions to act.”

The RSF launched a drone attack Tuesday that hit a medical center in Kadugli, killing five children and three women, according to Sudan Doctors Network, which tracks the war. The drone struck the al-Shartai Health Center, in the Hajar Al-Nour neighborhood, and injured 11 other people.