Cordophan becomes the last front line in the civil war

Rich in oil in Sudan, the Cordophans region has turned into a major front line in the war between the army and the opponent paramilitary forces, as both sides are trying to get the top in a conflict that devastated the huge African state for more than two years.

The attacks that killed hundreds of civilians earlier this month have moved their attention to the battle for this part of the country.

“Anyone who controls Cordophan effectively controls the supply of the country’s oil, as well as a huge piece of Sudan,” said BBC Amir Amin, an analyst at the Oasis Risk Policy Counseling.

The region is also vital for the post of South Sudan, as its oil passes through pipelines in Cordophan before exporting. So he is interested in Cordophan’s stability.

However, the battle for the region, consisting of three states with almost eight million, has intensified since June, when the army focused on the restoration of the territory from rapid forces (RSF) after it reached significant income in the previous three months, the restored capital, Khartum and the neighboring state of Gzir, agricultural centers.

Sudan’s military leader Gen Abdel Fatah al-Burhan flew to Khartum’s main airport on July 20, the second visit to the city, because in March his troops expelled RSF fighters.

The Burhan’s gene remains located in the eastern city of Port-Sudan, believing that he is still not sure to constantly return to Khartoum, now a broken wreck.

The conflict has taken about 150,000 people and forced about 12 million others from their homes – approximately the equivalent of Tunis or Belgium.

RSF confiscated Khartuma shortly after the war began in April 2023, after the mass fall between General Burhan and his then then commander of the paramilitary group, General Mohammed Hamdan pursued, better known as “HEMEDI”.

RSF helped Burhan put a coup in 2021 and crush disagreement until they turned on each other after the general picked up his plan to integrate a paramilitary force into the army.

International Analytics Crisis Analytics Analytics Analan Bosuel said the BBC that the army now wanted to defeat the RSF in Cordophan so that he could push the west to Darfur, the homeland of the paramilitary group.

On the other hand, RSF wanted to capture Cordophan because he would give him a “new impetus” and put it “at the strange distance of the central Sudan, including the capital,” said Mr. Bosuel.

Dr. Suliman Bald, director of Transparency and Policy Tracker, said the BBC that doubts that the army could break through the RSF defense lines in Cordophan.

He said most RSF fighters were from a large ethnic group that lives in West Cordophan, which bordered on Darfur, “and therefore they would fight for the protection of their own communities.”

Air at the beginning of this month, the army in Western Cordophane – including its capital, El -Fulai and Abu -Zabad, also antoganized the locals, he said, adding that it was a “counterproductive policy of the collective punishment of the so -called social incubators” of the RSF.

The army still controls the oil fields in the region, but the RSF threatened to extend the war to oil producing oil, in South Cordophan, near the border with South Sudan, when the air bombing did not stop.

“If the army aviation returns and bombed citizens again in Western Cordophan, we will strike and close the oil of Hygliha and kill the engineers,” said that Yussef Ovadall Alian, head of the RSF civil administration, said he stated that the site-site site is El Pulu.

The United Nations Office for Humanitarian Coordination (OCHA) stated that more than 20 people were killed in the schools on El Ful and Abu Zadad, including in school families.

Och condemned the attacks, saying that civilian and civil buildings – including schools, houses and shelters – must “never be aimed”, and warring groups should support the international humanitarian law.

RSF is also accused of orienting civilians.

The UN Children’s Agency (UNICEF) said that more than 450 civilians, including 24 boys, 11 girls and two pregnant women, were killed in the latest attacks in the North Cordophan and Hamid village.

“These attacks cause indignation,” the agency said, adding that “they are a terrible escalation of violence” and “complete ignoring human life.”

The US Laboratory for Humanitarian Studies in the US, which controls the conflict, said the analysis of Shag Alnom satellite images “testifies to intentional attacks by arson.”

A group of emergency lawyers said many of the more than 200 victims “were burned to death in their homes or shot.”

Fears are growing that the salary for the death of the civilian population may deteriorate after the reports that RSF is mobilizing for the capture of El Obayda, the capital of North Cordophane.

In recent weeks, the city of Umm Sumimi has changed his hands.

“This is the last defense for Sudan’s armed forces before El-Obida,” said Dr. Balda.

Mr. Amin said he would take control of UMM Sumaima to allow RSF to post a military personnel, which has an El Obaye base, while the army wanted to break through to create a new food route to overcome its soldiers in other parts of Cordophan.

With high rates, the Battle of Cordophan – covering about 390,000 km – is expected to be long and protracted.

“Will he decide that the winner of the war will be on the discussion, but it will certainly be a seismic shift,” Mr. Amin said.