The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) announced on Monday that they have taken full control of Babnousa, the Sudanese army’s last remaining position in West Kordofan State, amid intense fighting that has left dozens dead and forced thousands to flee.
In an official statement, the RSF said its forces, in coordination with allied “Tasis Forces,” carried out a “precise military operation” that resulted in the capture of the 22nd Infantry Division and the entire city of Babnousa. The statement added that the operation aimed to “neutralize military threats targeting civilians in several areas.”
According to the RSF, the attack came in response to a “surprise offensive” launched by the Sudanese army against the positions of the Tasis Forces in Babnousa, despite what it described as the RSF’s “full commitment to the humanitarian truce and ceasefire from the outset.”
The RSF had earlier announced a unilateral three-month humanitarian ceasefire, in line with an initiative proposed by the International Quartet on Sudan, which the army rejected.
Babnousa, home to the 22nd Infantry Division, is located in the heart of West Kordofan, about 700 kilometers southwest of Khartoum. It is one of the most important economic centers in the region, housing the Babnousa dairy factory and a major railway junction within Sudan’s rail network. The city is strategically positioned on the border with South Sudan along the railway line linking it to Wau, 360 kilometers from Nyala and 420 kilometers from El Fasher.
Escalation in South Kordofan
On Saturday, the town of Kumo came under heavy bombardment that killed at least 40 people and wounded many others. Both the RSF and the rights group “Emergency Lawyers” blamed the Sudanese army for the attack.
In a separate statement, the RSF accused the army of using a drone to carry out the strike on Saturday morning. Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement–North (SPLM–N), which is allied with the RSF, said that the town of Kauda and nearby areas were also targeted by air and drone strikes on November 29.
The group “Emergency Lawyers” reported that the bombardment struck Hakima Nursing School in Kumo, killing and injuring numerous students.
Local witnesses described extensive destruction. Kafi Kalu, a resident of Heiban, said he saw flames engulfing the nursing school after the strike, adding: “Forty funerals were held in Kumo that day.” Another resident, Teh Isa, reported that locals dug more than 40 graves for the victims.
In response, a military source denied that the Sudanese army targets civilians or civilian facilities. According to data from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), more than 5,000 people were displaced from villages in South Kordofan last month due to deteriorating security conditions.
Civilian Administration and Truce Efforts
The RSF had previously captured El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, in late October, thereby gaining control over the entire Darfur region before fighting spread to the oil- and agriculture-rich Kordofan states.
Kordofan serves as a strategic corridor linking Darfur to Khartoum, which remains under army control since early 2025. Weeks after the fall of El Fasher, the RSF declared a unilateral ceasefire “in response to international mediation efforts, including the initiative led by U.S. President Donald Trump and the Quartet envoys.”
Army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan rejected the proposal, urging President Trump to intensify efforts toward peace in Sudan and describing the plan as “the worst so far.”
U.S. Special Envoy to Africa, Mossad Boulos, called on both parties to accept the truce without preconditions, describing it as “a critical step toward a sustainable dialogue” and a path to a “civilian-led government.”
Shrinking Army Control
With the RSF’s capture of the 22nd Infantry Division in Babnousa, the Sudanese army’s presence in West Kordofan has been reduced to the 91st Brigade in Heglig, an area rich in oil production. The army still controls South Kordofan and key cities in North Kordofan, while RSF forces hold several towns in the north, including Bara, Al-Khuwei, Al-Nuhud, Al-Debibat, and Al-Hammadi.
Since the war broke out in April 2023, Sudan has effectively fractured into zones of control: the army holds the north and east, while the RSF dominates the west and parts of the south. The conflict has killed tens of thousands and displaced nearly 12 million people, according to the United Nations, which describes Sudan’s crisis as “the world’s worst humanitarian disaster.”
Al-Yurae / AFP
