Sudan Army Captures Hamrat al‑Wiz in North Kordofan Amid Ongoing Conflict

The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and allied Joint Forces announced on Saturday that they had seized the town of Hamrat al‑Wiz in North Kordofan, pushing further into a region that has been a flashpoint since the conflict erupted in April 2023. Government‑controlled media said the operation began on 22 September, with ground troops supported by artillery and air assets, and that the town was fully secured by the following day. The advance marks the latest territorial gain for the SAF in a campaign aimed at reclaiming a swath of central Sudan that has been held by the rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militias for months.

The recapture comes amid a protracted civil war that pits the regular army against the RSF, a paramilitary group originally formed from the Janjaweed militias that fought in Darfur. The SAF, which numbered roughly 300,000 personnel in 2024, has been locked in a battle for control of the country’s political and economic centres, while the RSF, estimated at 150,000 fighters, has leveraged its rapid‑deployment capabilities and foreign backing to contest key urban and resource‑rich areas. Both sides have been accused of widespread violations of international humanitarian law, and the conflict has displaced millions, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian situation.

Within the SAF, Islamist elements—particularly those linked to the Muslim Brotherhood—are believed to exert considerable influence over the chain of command. Analysts estimate that up to three‑quarters of the officer corps may be sympathetic to, or directly affiliated with, these groups. This ideological tilt has often hardened the SAF’s negotiating stance, leading to repeated rejections of cease‑fire proposals brokered by the United Nations and regional bodies. The government’s reliance on Islamist‑aligned factions is seen as a double‑edged sword: it consolidates internal cohesion among certain troops but also alienates moderate political actors and complicates diplomatic outreach.

The RSF, by contrast, positions itself as a nationalist force defending Sudan’s sovereignty against what it portrays as a corrupt, Islamist‑dominated army. Its leadership, under Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo, has cultivated ties with Gulf states and other regional powers, securing a flow of arms and financial support that sustains its operational tempo. The RSF’s narrative emphasizes the need to curb the SAF’s perceived sectarian agenda and to protect tribal and regional interests, especially in the resource‑rich central and western provinces. Despite its paramilitary roots, the RSF has increasingly framed its struggle in political terms, seeking recognition as a legitimate stakeholder in any future power‑sharing arrangement.

The battle for Hamrat al‑Wiz holds significance beyond the immediate tactical gain. North Kordofan sits atop key agricultural lands and oil‑rich concessions that are vital to Sudan’s fragile economy. Control of the area could tilt the balance of resource access, influencing both domestic revenue streams and export routes that affect neighbouring countries, notably Egypt and Ethiopia. Moreover, the SAF’s advance may embolden regional actors pushing for a negotiated settlement, while also risking a fresh wave of displacement that could strain humanitarian corridors already stretched thin. As the conflict continues to intersect with broader security concerns—such as the flow of weapons across the Sahel and the potential for extremist groups to exploit the chaos—the outcome of this offensive will be closely watched by the international community for its implications on stability and economic recovery in the Horn of Africa.