Sudan's army has made gains in the war against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary in recent weeks as it tries to gain the upper hand in the three-and-a-half-year war — and over the weekend the fighting opened a new front in Blue Nile state in the country's southeast. But the wider war remains far from settled: the RSF still controls almost all of Darfur, and the shifting front lines have done little to ease one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.
What gains has the army made?
The capture of al-Mazroub on Friday is the army's latest advance in North Kordofan. "The Sudanese army has taken full control of al-Mazroub after battles with the Rapid Support Forces," Mohamed Deidan, spokesman for the army's special forces, told the Anadolu news agency.
Deidan described the capture as an important step in the army's efforts to cut the RSF's supply lines, saying the town serves as a link between army-controlled North Kordofan and West Kordofan, which is an RSF stronghold. He called the advance a major turning point in the fighting in the Kordofan region.
Fighting across Kordofan has intensified since late 2025 after the RSF captured el-Fasher, the army's last major stronghold in Darfur. That victory cemented the RSF's control over Darfur and shifted the main front eastwards toward the Kordofan region — and the army is now trying to push the RSF out of that corridor. Al Jazeera's analysis of data from ACLED, the independent conflict monitor, found that about 19.7 percent of all of the war's recorded attacks have taken place in the Kordofan area, second only to Khartoum.
What is happening in Blue Nile state?
Blue Nile, in southeastern Sudan, has witnessed a military escalation in recent days. On Saturday, the Sudanese army announced it had delivered a "knockout blow" to the RSF and its ally, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), which controls parts of South Kordofan.
In a statement, the army's Fourth Infantry Division said its troops, backed by supporting forces, targeted the two groups in the Minza and Bashkarkad areas. The operation, it said, inflicted "heavy losses in lives and equipment," disrupted their movements and thwarted attempts to advance towards army positions. There was no immediate comment from the RSF, and the claims have not been independently confirmed.
Separately on Saturday, Blue Nile Governor Ahmed al-Omda Badi said the RSF launched drone attacks on the governor's house, but that the aircraft were intercepted by air defenses. He gave no details about casualties or damage — and again, the RSF has not commented on the statement.
Who controls what now?
The map has changed significantly over the course of the war. The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) control Khartoum — recovered after major losses early in the conflict — and most of the country's north, east and centre. The RSF controls much of western Sudan, including almost all of Darfur and parts of Kordofan. South Kordofan remains contested, while the SPLM-N holds pockets of territory in the south.
The army has pushed the RSF out of much of North Kordofan, increasing pressure on the paramilitary group's positions and supply routes. But territorial gains in the center have not translated into strategic resolution: the RSF retains long-range drone capabilities and can shift supplies to other routes.
What is the humanitarian cost?
Sudan's civil war erupted in April 2023 in the capital, Khartoum, after months of tensions between the SAF and the RSF. It has since expanded to 13 of Sudan's 18 states and displaced 14 million people.
The numbers behind the catastrophe keep worsening. About 19.5 million people — more than 40 percent of the population — were facing acute hunger, while 14 areas in North Darfur, South Darfur and South Kordofan were at risk of famine, the United Nations-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification hunger monitor said in May. About 825,000 children were projected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition this year. In July, the International Organization for Migration said the number of people newly displaced across Kordofan had risen by nearly two-thirds since February to more than 219,000. And in September, the Sudanese pound had lost nearly half its value in army-held territory since the beginning of the summer, putting basic goods beyond the reach of many families.
The army's momentum in Kordofan is real, and the Blue Nile front is new — but the war's center of gravity remains a humanitarian emergency that no battlefield map can resolve.
