Key Facts
- Start date
- 15 April 2023
- States involved
- North Kordofan, South Kordofan, West Kordofan
- Key oilfield contested
- Heglig
- Status
- Ongoing
Strategic Narrative Overview
Fighting has been sustained and intense across the three Kordofan states. Major engagements include the Siege of El Obeid, the principal city of North Kordofan, and the Battle of Kadugli in South Kordofan. Both the SAF and RSF have committed significant forces due to the region's strategic value, resulting in prolonged urban and rural combat with neither side achieving a decisive breakthrough.
01 / The Origins
The Kordofan campaign began on 15 April 2023, the same day the broader War in Sudan erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The RSF moved quickly to seize strategic assets in the region, including the airport at El Obeid, exploiting Kordofan's geographic importance as a corridor linking central Sudan to Darfur and its proximity to oilfields such as Heglig.
03 / The Outcome
As of the latest available information the campaign remains unresolved and ongoing. No ceasefire or negotiated settlement has been reached in this theater. The contested status of key towns and oilfields continues to make Kordofan one of the most actively fought-over regions in the broader Sudanese conflict, with humanitarian consequences for the civilian population still accumulating.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.