GEOLOCATION | Sudanese army retakes strategic highway linking Khartoum to El Obeid

EL-OBEID – The Sudanese army and allied forces have recaptured a series of towns along a strategic highway linking Khartoum to El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan state, restoring a direct road connection that had been severed since the outbreak of the country’s civil war in April 2023.

The military launched a major offensive on Saturday, July 25, advancing from multiple directions against positions held by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) along the Al-Sadarat Highway, also known as the Al-Ingaz Al-Gharbi Highway.

By Sunday morning, government forces had captured several strategic towns, including Bara, Jabra al-Sheikh, Umm Sayalla, Gereij and Umm Girfa, effectively dislodging the RSF from its main positions along the road, according to videos geolocated by Sudans Post.

The highway connects Khartoum state to El Obeid through Jabra al-Sheikh and Bara and has been a key transport route for military supplies, commercial goods and civilian movement between central Sudan and the Kordofan region.

The RSF seized large sections of the road shortly after the war began in April 2023, establishing control over Bara and surrounding settlements. The group used the corridor to move fighters and supplies between its positions in Kordofan and areas closer to Omdurman.

Its control of the highway also contributed to the isolation of El Obeid, which remained under pressure from RSF forces for much of the conflict.

In May 2025, the Sudanese army partially broke the siege of El Obeid following an offensive from White Nile state through Al-Rahad and Umm Rwaba, reopening an alternative supply route to the city.

However, the military continued to depend on the longer route through White Nile state because the RSF retained control of the more direct highway connecting El Obeid to Khartoum.

Several previous attempts by the army and allied armed groups to retake the road had failed to produce lasting gains, with RSF fighters withdrawing from some settlements before returning through nearby villages and desert routes.

The latest offensive involved a coordinated advance from two directions, with one army column moving south from Rahid al-Nuba through villages east of the highway while another pushed north from El Obeid.

Army-aligned forces initially captured Umm Sayalla, Bara and Jabra al-Sheikh on Saturday before advancing into Gereij and Umm Girfa on Sunday, completing their takeover of the main settlements along the route.

The operation involved Sudanese military units and allied formations, including armed groups that have fought alongside the army in previous operations in North Kordofan.

The recapture of the highway marks a significant territorial gain for the Sudanese military as it seeks to strengthen its positions in North Kordofan and secure transport connections between the capital region and El Obeid.

However, the road remains vulnerable to attacks by RSF fighters operating in surrounding villages and desert areas, raising questions about whether civilian and commercial traffic can resume safely.

The RSF could continue launching hit-and-run attacks against military convoys or temporarily blocking sections of the highway despite losing control of its main settlements.

Securing the route would require the army to establish control over surrounding villages and secondary roads, many of which are narrow, unpaved and difficult for heavy military vehicles to navigate.

The network of desert tracks also allows smaller RSF units to move between settlements without using the highway, potentially complicating efforts by the military to consolidate its territorial gains.

The reopening of the road could shorten transport distances between Khartoum and El Obeid and improve the movement of supplies into North Kordofan if government forces manage to maintain control of the corridor.