NORTH KORDOFAN – The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) announced on Wednesday, that it had taken control of Rahid al-Nuba, a small town in North Kordofan, following what it described as intense clashes with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and allied groups.
Military analysts, however, downplayed the strategic value of such gains, arguing that control over small towns in the region does not necessarily translate into a decisive advantage in the wider conflict.
The battle in Rahid al-Nuba came at a cost for the SAF. Pro-SAF social media accounts confirmed the death of a colonel who had previously played a leading role in the recapture of the state radio and television headquarters in Omdurman in March 2024. His death during Wednesday’s clashes underscores the human toll of the fighting, even in smaller localities.
On Thursday, the RSF released a statement celebrating what it called “a new victory,” asserting that its forces had successfully seized control of Rahid al-Nuba, west of Omdurman. The statement framed the advance as part of broader military planning, declaring that the operation was the result of “well-executed plans aimed at expanding the operational scope in preparation for an advance toward the strongholds of the Sudanese Army.”
The RSF further claimed it had entered a more determined phase of the conflict, vowing to pursue its campaign until “the liberation of the homeland is completed and Sudan is rebuilt on new and just foundations,” according to its statement.
The development follows shifting dynamics in North Kordofan. Just a week earlier, on September 11, the SAF and their allied groups retook Bara, another key town in the state, which had been under RSF control since June 2023. That victory was hailed by SAF supporters as a morale boost, particularly given Bara’s location and symbolic significance.
Local volunteers in Bara reported that the change of control has encouraged tens of thousands of displaced civilians, who had fled RSF attack in recent months, to consider returning. “Many families are planning to go back to their homes,” one volunteer told Sudans Post.
During its control of Bara in July and August 2025, the RSF launched repeated attacks on residential neighborhoods, driving dozens of families to flee the town on foot. Witnesses say those assaults left deep scars, both physically and emotionally, on communities who now weigh the risks of returning amid an unpredictable security landscape.
Analysts caution against reading too much into the RSF’s latest territorial gain in Rahid al-Nuba. While such announcements are portrayed as victories, military experts argue that the SAF has deliberately adopted a strategy of attrition, drawing RSF fighters into small towns and villages where they can be gradually worn down. As one observer put it, the SAF’s approach has been to “exhaust the adversary” rather than pursue quick territorial gains.
The back-and-forth over control of towns in North Kordofan reflects the broader pattern of Sudan’s war, now well into its second year. As both sides trade blows and seize or lose ground in remote communities, civilians continue to bear the heaviest burden, displaced, uprooted, and caught between rival forces vying for dominance.
