Sudan civil war: SAF regains Al Sadarat highway

In late June 2026 the Sudanese army and its allied Joint Forces declared they had seized the border town of Kulbus on the Darfur‑Chad frontier, marking their largest territorial gain in western Darfur since the loss of El‑Fasher. The capture was presented as a setback for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), with reported heavy RSF casualties and the seizure of weapons and vehicles.

By late July 2026 the Sudanese Armed Forces expanded their offensive into North Kordofan, announcing control of several towns—including Bara, Umm Sayalla, Umm Girfa and Jabrat al‑Sheikh—and aiming to reopen the Al‑Sadarat Highway linking Khartoum and El Obeid, a route the RSF had previously tried to isolate. Concurrently, Khartoum authorities deployed military police checkpoints around the capital’s bridges and entrances to limit the movement of armed personnel, reflecting an effort to tighten internal security amid the broader campaign.

On 26 July 2026 the army said it had fully recaptured the 350‑km Al‑Sadarat highway after two days of fierce fighting, retaking Um Qurfa, Jarigakh and confirming control of the previously reported towns. The restored supply line shortens the army’s logistical chain, enables faster troop and material movements, and is expected to improve humanitarian access for roughly half‑million civilians trapped in El Obeid, where the United Nations warned of a looming catastrophe.

Together, these developments show the Sudanese military consolidating control both along the western border and in central regions while reestablishing key infrastructure and tightening security in the capital as the conflict enters its fourth year.