Sudanese Army Regains Control of Al Sadarat Highway Linking Khartoum and El Obeid

The Sudanese Armed Forces announced on Sunday that they have recaptured the 350‑km Al Sadarat (also called Al‑Sadarat) highway, the main supply route between the capital Khartoum and El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan. The operation followed two days of fierce fighting in which the army retook the towns of Um Qurfa and Jarigakh and, according to other reports, the towns of Bara, Umm Sayalla, Umm Girfa and Jabra al‑Sheikh.

The recovery of the highway is described as the first major offensive against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in months. It enables the army to move troops, weapons, fuel and other supplies more quickly, and it is expected to improve humanitarian access to the roughly half‑million civilians trapped in El Obeid, where the United Nations has warned of a looming catastrophe and RSF drone attacks.

The RSF had held control of the route since April 2023, using it to isolate El Obeid and to launch attacks on surrounding areas. Regaining the highway shortens the logistical chain for the army and could reopen trade routes for livestock and agricultural products from Kordofan to markets in Khartoum.