Sudan's army and allied fighters have entered Al-Khuwei locality in Rapid Support Forces-held West Kordofan, Al Jazeera and army-aligned outlets report, while Abdel Fattah al-Burhan says his forces are advancing toward the town and nearing parts of Darfur. Village lists and casualty claims remain unverified.
Sudanese army units and allied fighters have entered Al-Khuwei locality in West Kordofan, an area held by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), according to an Al Jazeera analysis published on Thursday 6 November. The report said the first force moved into Umm Marahik and Al-Ghurra on Monday, and into Shaq al-Dud and the approaches to Ayal Bakhit on Wednesday. Anadolu earlier reported that the army had announced control of Umm Marahik after clashes with the RSF.
Special Operations commander Mohamed Didan said on Facebook, as cited by Al Jazeera and Sudan Now, that the army was moving on six axes toward the state. Didan claimed that the army, the Joint Force and allied units had cleared dozens of villages and positions and seized vehicles. Sudan Nabaa said the army captured Shaq al-Dud near Al-Khuwei after fighting lasting more than three hours, and published social-media video of soldiers announcing their entry. CERHA could not independently verify the village lists, casualty figures or the footage's date and location.
Burhan on the record
In his first public comment on the West Kordofan push, Transitional Sovereignty Council chair and army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan told a small group of journalists on Monday that his forces were advancing toward Al-Khuwei and that other units were nearing areas of Darfur, Al Jazeera reported. Field reports cited by the same outlet said the RSF had begun building earth berms and trenches, planting mines at commanding positions and closing roads around Al-Nahud and Al-Khuwei.
Military analysts quoted by Al Jazeera described West Kordofan as a corridor that links North Kordofan's supply routes to Darfur. The army has claimed broad control in North Kordofan since August; those earlier claims are separate from the Al-Khuwei advance reported this week. Competing Blue Nile claims by the RSF-led Tasis alliance are not the focus of this report.
Image: Road transport in Al-Ubayyid (El Obeid), capital of North Kordofan, Sudan. Matab Hamed, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.