What the RSF Takeover of Babanusa Means for Sudan’s Ongoing Conflict

CAIRO — Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) announced on Monday it has seized full control of Babanusa, a key transport hub in the oil-rich South Kordofan state. The capture marks another strategic advance for the RSF and intensifies pressure on the Sudanese Armed Forces as the country’s civil war enters a new phase.

In a statement, the RSF framed the takeover as a defensive move, claiming it repelled “a surprise attack” by the army during what it called a “clear violation of the humanitarian truce.” The group described the action as the “liberation” of Babanusa, which lies along vital supply and trade routes in Sudan’s heartland.

This latest gain builds on the RSF’s capture of Al-Fasher in North Darfur in October, which ended the army’s last major foothold in the western region. With Babanusa under its control, the RSF strengthens its grip over Sudan’s oil-producing zones and complicates the military’s ability to move troops and resources across the country.

The offensive comes despite recent international efforts to broker a ceasefire. In early November, the Quad—comprising the United States, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia—proposed a three-month truce to be followed by peace talks. While the RSF initially indicated acceptance, it soon launched a series of drone strikes on army positions, followed by the push into Babanusa.

On November 19, U.S. President Donald Trump stated he would intervene to stop the conflict, which broke out in April 2023. Yet diplomatic momentum has so far failed to slow the fighting on the ground.

The fall of Babanusa underscores the RSF’s expanding territorial control and its capacity to sustain multi-front operations. It also raises urgent questions about the stability of Sudan’s oil infrastructure and the humanitarian consequences for civilians caught in the crossfire.

As the RSF consolidates its hold on strategic towns, the path to negotiation grows more fraught, leaving millions of Sudanese awaiting a respite from a war that shows no sign of ending.

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