New information has surfaced regarding the situation of SAF units in the town of Babnousa, West Kordofan, amid conflicting reports about the fate of senior commanders following recent Rapid Support Forces (RSF) advances.
According to military sources, troops from the 22nd Division withdrew from Babanousa and reached the 90th Brigade in Heglig, southern Sudan. The development follows the RSF’s announcement at the start of December that it had taken full control of Babanousa, a move described as a strategic shift in the country’s ongoing conflict.
On 1 December, the RSF declared it had seized the entire town, which serves as a key link between Darfur and the capital, Khartoum. Its capture was viewed as a significant turning point due to its military and economic importance. The SAF, however, denied losing Babanousa, describing the attack as a surprise assault and a breach of the previously announced humanitarian truce.
Confusion over commander’s fate
Reports regarding the fate of Major General Muawiya Hamad, commander of the 22nd Division, remain contradictory. Some sources say he successfully reached Heglig with the withdrawing forces, while others claim he was killed in an ambush during the retreat.
The “Ultra Sudan” platform reported that the division’s deputy commander, Brigadier General Hassan Darmot, has arrived at the 90th Brigade in Heglig, though the status of the division’s top commander is still unclear.
Field losses
Military sources indicated that intense and continuous shelling on SAF positions forced parts of the force to abandon forward defensive lines. The final group attempting to withdraw reportedly fell into an ambush that resulted in the deaths of artillery commander Lt. Col. Mohammed Mustafa al-Haj of Batch 41, along with the air-defence commander.
On 24 November, RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo announced a three-month humanitarian truce, committing to halt hostilities in response to calls from the Quad (US, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the UAE). However, repeated attacks on army positions in Babanousa after the truce raised questions about the extent of compliance, especially as fighting continued across the area.
Babanousa sits at the heart of West Kordofan and holds major strategic and economic value. It hosts a key dairy factory and acts as an important junction within Sudan’s railway network. Its location near the border, along with the rail line connecting it to Wau in South Sudan, makes control of the town a significant factor in the broader trajectory of the conflict.
