Sudanese army announced on Sunday that it had regained full control of the Al Sadarat highway, which connects Khartoum with the city of El Obeid in North Kordofan. The capture followed two days of fighting in which the army recaptured the towns of Um Qurfa and Jarigakh, according to a statement from the army. The army said its forces inflicted heavy losses on Rapid Support Forces fighters, causing them to withdraw.

The highway, a 350‑kilometre route that had been under RSF control since April 2023, serves as a key military supply line and an export route for Omdurman Al‑Abyd. Regaining control allows the army to move fuel, troops and equipment more quickly to El Obeid, reducing reliance on a longer route through White Nile State and easing pressure on the besieged city.

Al Jazeera correspondent AlMigdad Alruhaid said the restored connection improves humanitarian access for civilians affected by the war. The United Nations has warned that about half a million people remain trapped in El Obeid, where drone attacks and reports of sexual violence have created a humanitarian crisis.

The RSF’s loss of the highway hampers its effort to seize El Obeid, a development that would give the paramilitary force control over western Sudan. The World Health Organization estimates that the conflict has killed approximately 40,000 people and displaced more than 14 million individuals.

UN Women reported that women in El Obeid face two risks: collecting water during daylight under drone attack risk, or waiting at night and risking rape.