Sudan Paramilitary Says It Controls Babanusa, Army Disputes Claim

Sudan’s long running conflict deepened on December 2 when the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces announced it had taken full control of Babanusa, a town in West Kordofan that serves as an important transport junction for the oil producing south. The Sudanese army immediately disputed the claim, saying RSF fighters continued attacks and that the town had not been entirely captured. Independent verification of control remained unavailable as the two sides traded allegations.

The RSF framed its operation as a response to what it described as a surprise army attack that violated a humanitarian truce. The army countered by accusing the RSF of mounting artillery and drone strikes that continued to destabilize the area. Reuters was not immediately able to independently verify the competing assertions from both forces.

Babanusa’s strategic value lies in its role as a crossroads for roads and logistics feeding southern oil fields and markets. Control of such a hub can influence the movement of fuel, supplies, and humanitarian convoys, and can create leverage over regional trade routes that extend beyond Sudan’s borders. The town’s capture, if confirmed, would follow a series of gains by the RSF over the past year, including its reported seizure of al Fashir in Darfur in October.

The fighting, which erupted in April 2023, has already crippled supply lines and constrained access for aid agencies across several regions. Humanitarian groups have repeatedly warned that each new escalation risks worsening shortages of food, medicine, and fuel, and could spark further displacement of civilians. The renewed clashes in West Kordofan underscore how fragile ceasefires have been and the difficulty of protecting civilians amidst urban and transport centric battles.

International actors have stepped in repeatedly to try to halt the violence. A Quad proposed truce and other diplomatic initiatives have sought to create breathing space for negotiations and relief operations, but implementation has been uneven and fragile. The latest clashes will test those diplomatic efforts and could complicate any pursuit of a durable cessation of hostilities.

Beyond immediate humanitarian concerns, control of transport nodes like Babanusa carries economic and geopolitical consequences. Disruptions to oil logistics threaten revenue streams that both military actors and the civilian population rely upon. Neighbouring states and international partners monitoring energy markets will watch for any ripple effects on production and exports. There is also a legal dimension, as attacks on civilian infrastructure and restrictions on humanitarian access would raise questions about compliance with international humanitarian law and could shape international responses.

Civilians in and around Babanusa face renewed uncertainty as armed groups assert control and the army vows counteroperations. Until independent observers can confirm the situation on the ground, the claims by both sides will remain contested. The contest over Babanusa is the latest reminder that Sudan’s conflict remains unresolved, and that strategic towns will continue to shape the human and geopolitical fallout.