The battle for Kordofan: The corridor linking Sudan’s east and west

What the report says

Fighting in Sudan’s Kordofan region has intensified since late 2025, making the area one of the main fronts in the war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, according to Al Jazeera. Kordofan, which sits between RSF-held Darfur and army-controlled central Sudan, is strategically important because it links the country’s east and west and includes routes that could shape future military advances.

Al Jazeera reported that Kordofan has accounted for a substantial share of recorded violence since the war began in April 2023. Using ACLED data, the outlet said the three Kordofan states have seen thousands of attacks and at least 12,314 reported fatalities. North Kordofan has been a particular focus, with fighting and drone strikes increasingly affecting towns and civilian infrastructure. The city of el-Obeid, a commercial and administrative hub, is described as especially significant because of its role as a gateway between central Sudan and the west.

The report said battlefield control in Sudan remains divided, with the army holding the capital, much of the north, east and centre, while the RSF controls most of Darfur and parts of Kordofan. After the fall of el-Fasher in Darfur in October 2025, attention shifted further toward Kordofan. The region has also seen continued civilian displacement, with the International Organization for Migration warning that new displacement in Kordofan has risen sharply since the escalation. More broadly, millions remain displaced across Sudan even as some people have returned to army-held areas.