{"success":true,"data":{"id":"42b795cd-7db0-4d0a-9bde-3ddaf43e8859","title":"Sudan’s army claims control of major highway linking Khartoum and el-Obeid","summary":"Navigation menu NewsShow more news sections More Show more sections Click here to search Sudan’s army claims control of major highway linking Khartoum and el-Obeid Capture of Al Sadarat highway will help the Sudanese army block the RSF’s push to seize el-Obeid in North Kordofan.","content":"Navigation menu\n*   [News](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/)Show more news sections\n\n*   More Show more sections\n\nClick here to search\n\n# Sudan’s army claims control of major highway linking Khartoum and el-Obeid\n\n_Capture of Al Sadarat highway will help the Sudanese army block the RSF’s push to seize el-Obeid in North Kordofan._\n\nListen (3 mins)\n\nSave\n\nClick here to share on social media\n\nAdd Al Jazeera on Google\n\nSudan’s army regains control of highway linking Khartoum with El Obeid\n\nBy [Al Jazeera Staff](https://www.aljazeera.com/author/al_jazeera_staff_150119130629458)\n\nThe Sudanese army has announced that it has regained full control of a major highway linking the capital, Khartoum, with el-Obeid, a city that has been under siege by the rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).\n\nThe capture of Al Sadarat highway on Sunday will help the Sudanese army move troops, weapons, fuel and supplies, and will also block the RSF’s push to seize el-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan state.\n\n## Recommended Stories\n\nlist of 3 items\n*   list 1 of 3[UN probe finds mass killings, gang rapes by Sudan’s RSF amount to genocide](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/9/un-probe-finds-mass-killings-gang-rapes-by-sudans-rsf-amount-to-genocide)\n*   list 2 of 3[Sudan sentences RSF chief Hemedti to death: Who’s he, what’s he accused of?](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/14/sudan-sentences-rsf-chief-hemedti-to-death-whos-he-whats-he-accused-of)\n*   list 3 of 3[Sudanese minister says war has ‘profoundly reshaped’ nation’s demographics](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/16/sudanese-minister-says-war-has-profoundly-reshaped-nations-demography)\n\nend of list\nAbout half a million people are trapped in the city, where the United Nations has warned of a humanitarian catastrophe, with residents facing intense RSF drone attacks.\n\nIn a statement on Sunday, the Sudanese army said it had recaptured cities and towns between Khartoum and el-Obied following two days of fierce battles with the RSF, which controlled the highway.\n\nThe attacks marked the first major offensive against the paramilitary in months.\n\nThe army said its troops retook the areas of Um Qurfa and Jarigakh after operations that “inflicted heavy losses in lives and equipment [of RSF fighters], forcing them to flee”.\n\n“With this victory, the forces have taken control of the export route of Omdurman Al-Abyd”, the army said, referring to the Al Sadarat highway.\n\n## Improved humanitarian access\n\nAl Jazeera’s AlMigdad Alruhaid said the capture of the highway restores “a direct connection between the capital and Kordofan for the first time in months”.\n\n“This is significant because the highway is a key military supply route,” Alruhaid said.\n\n“It allows the army to move fuel, troops and equipment more quickly to el-Obeid instead of relying on the longer route through the White Nile State. And the move also reduces pressure on el-Obeid, which has been largely isolated by RSF positions, while potentially opening an important trade route for livestock and agricultural products from the Kordofan region,” he added.\n\n“For civilians, securing this road could also improve humanitarian access to communities affected by this ongoing war.”\n\nGet instant alerts and updates based on your interests. Be the first to know when big stories happen.\n\nYes, keep me updated\n\nThe RSF had controlled most of the 350km (217-mile) strategic highway since April 2023, when the conflict between the Sudanese army and the RSF erupted due to disagreements about integrating the paramilitary force into the national army.\n\nLosing control of the route will hinder the RSF’s drive to take el-Obeid – a city whose capture would give the paramilitary force control of all of western Sudan.\n\nThe [conflict has killed](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/14/after-three-years-of-war-what-is-the-situation-like-in-sudan) an estimated 40,000 people, according to the World Health Organization, and forced more than 14 million people to flee their homes.\n\nIn el-Obeid, UN Women said last week that women and girls “now face an impossible choice over something as basic as a bucket of water: risk a drone strike by collecting it in daylight, or risk rape by waiting until dark”.\n\nIt added that sexual violence has been used as a weapon throughout Sudan’s three-year war, with testimonies describing rape committed in front of family members alongside brutal physical abuse.","source_name":"Al Jazeera","source_url":"https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/27/sudans-army-claims-control-of-major-highway-linking-khartoum-and-el-obeid?traffic_source=rss","url":"https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/27/sudans-army-claims-control-of-major-highway-linking-khartoum-and-el-obeid?traffic_source=rss","author":"Unknown Author","author_name":"Unknown Author","published_at":"2026-07-27T04:21:37.000Z","publication_date":"2026-07-27T04:21:37.000Z","image_url":"https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/afp_6a4f5eab6ba6-1783586475.jpg?resize=730%2C410&quality=80","category":"world","topic":"world","tags":[],"political_bias":null,"bias_score":null,"confidence_score":null,"credibility_score":null,"factual_quality":null,"reading_time":4,"word_count":635,"view_count":0,"breaking":false,"breaking_news":false,"ai_analysis":null,"fact_check_status":"unverified","archive_status":"hot","language":null}}