The Sudanese army, in collaboration with the Joint Force, a coalition of former Darfur rebel movements, has captured Sodari town in North Kordofan State. This development comes as part of an ongoing offensive against the Rapid Support Forces' remaining positions in the state. Videos verified by sources show soldiers and allied fighters in various locations within the town. The capture of Sodari signifies a westward advance for the military, following earlier gains this month and the seizure of several towns along the main road between El Obeid and Khartoum in July.
The fall of Sodari extends the military's control over administrative centers, although the RSF still holds parts of Sodari locality and positions west and south of El Obeid, the North Kordofan capital. According to multiple sources, around 17 prisoners of war were killed inside Sodari town when the military and allies stormed in. The sources claim that some of the prisoners had surrendered and others were already wounded. The Sudanese Armed Forces have been accused of killing captives during battles.
In a statement, the military announced that its troops and supporting forces captured Sodari after fierce battles, claiming heavy losses among RSF fighters. However, the army did not provide casualty figures or details of equipment destroyed or seized. Footage verified by sources shows Joint Force fighters outside a fuel station in western Sodari and Sudanese soldiers in front of the town's branch of the National Health Insurance Fund.
The latest capture brings the administrative center under army control but leaves other parts of the locality in RSF hands. The paramilitary still controls Umm Badr and Hamrat al-Sheikh to the northwest. This development comes days after RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo addressed a force being sent toward Kordofan in an effort to slow the army's advance.
The column, named "Martyr Mudawi," was deployed to counter the army's offensive. Hemedti urged fighters to follow their commanders' instructions, promising to fight ahead of his men rather than behind them. He also instructed them to protect civilians and not to kill prisoners captured alive. It remains unclear whether the column reached Sodari before Friday's battle or whether any of its fighters took part in the town's defense.
The current army offensive began on September 17, with forces advancing toward Sodari while separate units attacked RSF positions west of El Obeid. The operations target areas the paramilitary retained after losing several major towns in July. Earlier in the offensive, the RSF claimed to have repelled an army assault on Abu Qa'ud and captured weapons and ammunition.
The fighting around El Obeid remains a challenge for the military, with the RSF holding control of Abu Qa'ud and Umm Sumaima west of the city and Kazgil to the south. North Kordofan connects army-held central Sudan with the western regions where the RSF maintains much of its territorial control. Sodari locality borders North Darfur to the west and West Kordofan to the southwest.
Key points
- The Sudanese army, along with the Joint Force, has captured Sodari town in North Kordofan State.
- The RSF still controls parts of Sodari locality and positions west and south of El Obeid.
- The capture of Sodari is part of an ongoing military offensive against the RSF's remaining positions in the state.
