Has the army turned the page on control of western Sudan?

What the report says

Sudan’s army and allied forces have reported recent battlefield gains against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in western Darfur, in a counteroffensive that Al Jazeera said has put pressure on a strategically important area near el-Geneina, the capital of West Darfur state. The report, published on 10 August 2026, said the fighting has focused on Bir Saliba, about 30km north of el-Geneina and described as the RSF’s last major foothold in the region.

According to officials cited by Al Jazeera, government-aligned forces repelled two RSF attacks in early August and say they are trying to cut supply lines through border crossings and desert routes near Chad. West Darfur Governor Bahr al-Din Adam Karama said the road network around Bir Saliba links el-Geneina with areas in Jebel Moon and Kulbus, making it important for control of the wider front. Darfur Regional Governor Minni Arko Minnawi also said a senior RSF field commander known as “Jebel Moon” was killed, though the RSF had not confirmed that account.

The article also quoted commanders from the Joint Force of armed movements allied with the army, who said they destroyed or captured dozens of combat vehicles and were seeking to increase pressure before a possible battle for el-Geneina. In central Sudan, the RSF has increasingly relied on drones after losing a key route between Omdurman and el-Obeid, the report said. The International Organization for Migration said more than 6,650 people from 11 villages in Sirba were displaced by the latest escalation, adding to the vast humanitarian toll of the war that began in April 2023.