Sudan army gains and RSF defections shift political balance
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Sudanese armed forces have retaken Bara, Jabra al-Sheikh and Umm Sayala in North Kordofan, securing the national Exports Road. The Rapid Support Forces face a wave of defections, including 318 fighters who joined the army on August 20. Army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan is opening a political track while insisting the military campaign will continue.
Key Facts
- The army retook Bara, Jabra al-Sheikh and Umm Sayala in North Kordofan in late July, securing the national Exports Road linking Khartoum to el-Obeid.
- On August 20, about 318 people, including four officers, defected from the RSF to the army, arriving in Northern state in about 50 combat vehicles.
- Separate groups from Kordofan and Khartoum included 270 people, among them 21 field commanders, who joined the army.
- Army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who heads the Transitional Sovereignty Council, is opening a political track while insisting the military campaign will continue.
Army Gains in North Kordofan
The clearest recent gains have come in North Kordofan, a state in central Sudan that links the capital, Khartoum, with the country's western regions. In late July, the army announced that it had retaken Bara, Jabra al-Sheikh and Umm Sayala, along with other positions in the state. The advances also secured the national Exports Road, a key route linking Khartoum, through Omdurman, with el-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan. The army's control of the Exports Road has strengthened its position in North Kordofan and added pressure on RSF supply lines. On August 21, the army was continuing efforts to cut those supply lines as fighting expanded across Kordofan, Darfur and the Blue Nile region.
RSF Defections
The battlefield pressure has coincided with a marked increase in defections from the RSF. On August 20, the army announced that about 318 people, including four officers, had joined its ranks, arriving in Northern state in about 50 combat vehicles before moving to Omdurman. Separate groups from Kordofan and Khartoum included 270 people, among them 21 field commanders, as well as 45 fighters and commanders from the Bara area who surrendered to the army. The growing defections are linked to several factors, including battlefield developments, internal problems within the RSF, social and tribal dynamics, and pressure created by the army's advances and efforts to disrupt RSF supply lines. The trend does not by itself mean the RSF is collapsing, but if it continues, it could become increasingly significant, particularly if more commanders and fighters conclude that the battlefield balance is shifting against the RSF.
Political Track
Army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who also heads the Transitional Sovereignty Council, is opening a political track while insisting the military campaign will continue. Al-Burhan is seeking to shape a political process from a position strengthened by developments on the battlefield. Together, the military pressure, defections and political outreach point to a potentially important shift: battlefield developments may be starting to affect the political balance.
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Sudan army gains and RSF defections shift political balance
