Kordofan becomes the latest front line in the civil war

The oil -rich Kordovan region in Sudan has turned into a major front line in the war between the army and the competing paramilitary forces, as both sides try to obtain the upper hands in a conflict that destroyed the vast African state for more than two years.

The attacks that killed hundreds of civilians earlier this month turned attention to the battle for this part of the country.

“Whoever controls Kordofan effectively controls oil supplies in the country, in addition to a large part of Sudan,” Amir Amin, an analyst at the Risk Oasis Consulting Policy Consulting, told the BBC.

The region is also vital to the unpleasant southern Sudan, as oil flows through the pipelines in Kordovan, before its export. Therefore, it has a firm interest in the stability of Cordovan.

However, the battle for the region – which consists of three states, has intensified its population of approximately eight million – since June, when the army focused on restoring the region from the RSF after it has achieved great gains in the previous three months, the restoration of the capital, Al -Jarum, and the neighboring Jesira state, which is adjacent to the nozzle.

The military leader, Sudan, General Abdul -Fateh Al -Bouran, flew to Khurram Al -Raisi Airport on June 20, and his second visit to the city since his forces removed RSF fighters in March.

General Portan remains the stationed Port of Sudan, indicating that he is still not confident of the permanent return to Khartoum, and is now a burning wreck.

The conflict claimed about 150,000 people and forced about 12 million others of their homes – which is almost equivalent to the population of Tunisia or Belgium.

RSF seized Khartoum shortly after the start of the war in April 2023, after a tremendous decrease between General Piehan and the leader of the paramilitary group, General Muhammad Hamdan Dagalo, known as “Hemedti”.

RSF helped in the coup in 2021 and crushed the opposition until they turned to each other after General Dagalo resisted his plan to integrate the paramilitary force into the army.

Alan Boussle, an analyst at the International Crisis Group, told Alan Bouswell BBC that the army now wants to defeat RSF in Cordovan so that he could pay west to Darfur – the paline group’s birthplace.

On the other hand, RSF wanted to seize Kordofan because he would give it a “new momentum” and put it “at an amazing distance from central Sudan, including the capital, again,” said Mr. Buswell.

Dr. Sulaiman Baldud, the director of transparency Sudan and the policy reference, told the BBC that he doubts that the army can penetrate the RSF defense lines in Kordovan.

He said that the majority of RSF fighters were from the large Misseriya group that lives in West Cordovan, which challenges Darfur, “and thus will fight to protect their societies.”

He said that the air strikes earlier this month by the army in West Cordovan – including its capital, El Fula, and the city of Abu Zabad – had also found the local population, adding that it was “a reverse policy of collective punishment for the so -called social incubators” of RSF.

The army is still controlling the oil fields in the region, but RSF threatened to expand the war to the oil -producing Heglig in southern Kordovan, near the border with South Sudan, if the air strikes did not stop.

“If the army’s flight returns again and the bombs in West Kurdofin State, we will strike and close the Higlig oil and kill the engineers,” and Youssef Awad Allah Alyan, head of the RSF civil administration in the state.

The United Nations Office for Humanitarian Coordination (OCHA) said that the strikes against El-Vula and Abu Zabad, including on school shelter families, were said to have killed more than 20 people.

Osha condemned the attacks, saying that civilians and civil buildings – including schools, homes and shelters – must “never be targeted”, and warring groups should support international humanitarian law.

RSF was also accused of targeting civilians.

UNICEF said that more than 450 civilians – including 24 boys, 11 girls and two pregnant women – were killed in recent attacks in the Para region in northern Kordovan, Shaj Al Nom and Hamid El -Hamid.

“These attacks are anger,” the agency said.

The US -based Yale Humanitary Laboratory, who was watching the conflict, said that an analysis of the Shag Alnom satellite was “indicating deliberate burning attacks.”

Many victims of more than 200 victims “were burned to death in their homes or shooting them.”

Fears are increasing that the number of civilian deaths could get worse after reports that RSF was paved for an attack to arrest Opeid, the capital of Northern Kordovan.

UMM Sumaima has changed several times in recent weeks.

“This is the last defensive position for the Sudanese Armed Forces before Obeid,” said Dr. Baldo.

Mr. Amin said that UMM SUMAIMA will allow RSF to besiege the army, which has a base in El-Obeid, while the army wanted to penetrate a new supply route to reinforce its soldiers in other parts of Kordofan.

With high risk, the battle for Kordofan – which covers about 390,000 square kilometers – is expected to be long and long.

Mr. Amin said: “Whether it will decide or not to decide the war, but it will definitely be a seismic shift.”