In a covert operation, a force of around 280 fighters, including field commanders, arrived in Khartoum on July 23, 2026, after breaking away from areas controlled by the RSF militia and declaring their allegiance to the Sudanese army.

The Sudanese Army’s recapture of Kurmuk reshaped the balance of power in southeastern Sudan, closing an attritional front that the UAE-backed RSF militias had sought to turn into a pressure point against the army.

As RSF troops encircle El Obeid, the Sudanese Army's preemptive drone strikes signal that a decisive showdown is now imminent.

Sudan’s battle for Kordofan is a crucial fight for strategic control, with the army and UAE-backed RSF militia locked in fierce clashes shaping the conflict’s future.