Battle for Kordofan Intensifies as Sudan’s War Enters Fourth Year

Fighting has intensified in Sudan’s Kordofan region, turning the area into one of the main battlegrounds between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Kordofan, made up of North, South and West Kordofan states, lies between army-controlled central Sudan and RSF-controlled Darfur, making it a strategically important corridor between the two sides’ strongholds.

According to an analysis by Al Jazeera using data from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED), Sudan recorded 14,648 attacks between April 15, 2023, and September 19, 2026. Kordofan accounted for about 19.7 percent of those attacks, with 2,876 incidents recorded across its three states.

The fighting has increasingly shifted to the air, with drone attacks becoming more frequent in towns across North Kordofan and damaging civilian infrastructure.

North Kordofan recorded the highest number of attacks in the region, with 1,205 incidents, followed by South Kordofan with 789 and West Kordofan with 723. ACLED recorded at least 12,314 deaths in Kordofan since the war began.

The strategic importance of the region increased after the fall of El Fasher in October 2025, which shifted attention towards Kordofan. The region provides a potential corridor between RSF-held Darfur and army-controlled areas in central and eastern Sudan.

In North Kordofan, the Sheikan locality, which includes the state capital El Obeid, recorded 497 attacks. The city is an important commercial and administrative centre, and control of it could provide the RSF with a route towards Khartoum.

South Kordofan has also experienced intense fighting, particularly around Dilling and Kadugli, while attacks in West Kordofan have been spread across several localities.

The conflict has also caused further displacement. The International Organization for Migration says the number of people newly displaced in Kordofan rose from more than 132,000 in February to at least 219,000 by late June 2026, a 65 percent increase.

Across Sudan, about 8.6 million people remain internally displaced, although approximately 5.1 million people have returned to their areas since 2025, particularly following the army's recapture of parts of the country.

With fighting continuing in Kordofan, the region remains a major focus of Sudan’s prolonged conflict and a key battleground in the struggle between the SAF and RSF.

• Tweet
• Share
• Share
• Share
• Share