Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces said Saturday they had captured the area of Allouba, a rural community just south of the strategic city of Al-Obeid in North Kordofan state, tightening their grip around one of General al-Burhan forces (SAF) key strongholds in central Sudan.
Videos posted on verified RSF social-media accounts showed fighters riding pickup trucks through dusty streets, raising the group’s flag and proclaiming full control of the settlement about 30 kilometers (19 miles) from Al-Obeid.
Al-Obeid, a regional hub on the road linking the capital, Khartoum, to Darfur, has changed hands several times since the war between the SAF and the RSF erupted in April 2023. SAF junta did not immediately respond to calls seeking comment on the latest advance.
Residents reached by phone said SAF artillery stationed on Al-Obeid’s outskirts fired sporadically overnight toward southern approaches, but heavy fighting had subsided by midday Saturday. They reported new checkpoints on roads leading into the city and rising prices of basic goods as supply lines tightened.
The RSF push comes as peace talks mediated by the African Union and the United States remain stalled.
More than 14,000 people have been killed and millions uprooted nationwide in the conflict, according to U.N. figures, with both sides accused of indiscriminate shelling, looting and other abuses.
