Sudanese army retakes key West Kordofan town from RSF
The army and its allied Joint Force announced recapturing Al-Khuway after heavy fighting, seizing territory vital for military and commercial routes.
On Friday, Sudan's army and its allied Joint Force announced they had retaken the strategic town of Al-Khuway in West Kordofan state after heavy fighting with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The Joint Force, an alliance of former Darfur rebel movements fighting alongside the army, said its troops now control Al-Khuway, Sarif Ankoush, Um Labana, Al-Dawdiya and several other areas.
The town sits on road networks that link North and West Kordofan with parts of Darfur. In a statement, Joint Force spokesperson Major Mutwakil Abu Ja said the fighting cost the RSF heavily, including the death of a commander, and claimed 20 RSF combat vehicles were destroyed and 40 seized. Darfur regional governor Minni Arko Minnawi welcomed the recapture, saying the town matters for further military advances and the return of displaced people. The claims could not be independently verified.
The RSF had seized Al-Khuway in May 2025, displacing 2,715 households between May 29 and 30 that year, according to the International Organization for Migration. The army and Joint Force also retook Sarif Ankoush and nearby areas earlier on Friday, and troops are now searching the area and pursuing remaining RSF fighters.
Why it mattersResidents of Al-Khuway and the surrounding villages, many of whom were displaced when the RSF took the town in 2025, now face a new front line as the army and its allies consolidate control.