Sudan army claims capture of three areas in West Kordofan
Military sources say troops are advancing on Al-Nuhud, still held by the RSF, while Ahram Online puts the number of areas retaken at eight.
Sudan's army and allied forces took control of three areas east of Al-Nuhud in West Kordofan on Saturday and are advancing on the city, which the Rapid Support Forces still hold, military sources told Anadolu Agency. Al-Nuhud is the second-largest city in the state, in western Sudan.
The sources named the three areas as Khamasat, Markab and Umm Oweisha, and said several villages also fell. Soldiers and allied fighters posted videos on social media that they said showed troops entering Khamasat and Umm Oweisha. The RSF did not immediately comment on the reported advances, according to Yeni Safak, which carried the Anadolu report.
Ahram Online described the same offensive differently, reporting that the army and allied forces had recaptured eight areas in West Kordofan. The Egyptian outlet did not name the areas or say where its figure came from.
Sudanese officials said the army took Al-Khuway, about 100 kilometres (62 miles) from Al-Nuhud, on Friday after clashes with the RSF. Sources familiar with the fighting told Anadolu that the army had also seized Ayal Bakhit, northwest of Al-Khuway, on 7 November.
Anadolu carried a separate report in which the Joint Force, which fights alongside the army, said it had retaken Sarif Ankoush and surrounding areas in North Kordofan after what it called fierce clashes, and killed an RSF commander there. No other outlet in the material reported that operation, and the RSF has not responded to it.
The claims come from unnamed military sources and have not been independently confirmed. Neither side has given a casualty figure for the Kordofan fighting.
Clashes between the army and the RSF have intensified across North, West and South Kordofan since 25 October last year. The war between the two forces, which began in April 2023, has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced nearly 13 million, according to UN estimates.
How the reports differ
Anadolu Agency, repeated by Yeni Safak with credit to Anadolu, put the number of areas taken east of Al-Nuhud at three and based the report on unnamed military sources. Ahram Online reported that the army and allied forces had recaptured eight areas in West Kordofan, without naming them and without saying where the figure came from. Anadolu's second report covered a different operation, in North Kordofan, where the Joint Force said it retook Sarif Ankoush and killed an RSF commander; no other outlet carried it. None of the reports quoted the RSF, and Yeni Safak alone noted that the group had not immediately commented on the advances.
Watch
Ethiopia expels Sudanese diplomats over RSF support allegations
The expulsion follows new accusations that Addis Ababa backs Sudan's paramilitary force, as the UN reports thousands displaced by fighting in Tigray and Amhara.
Eight killed in south Ethiopia attack blamed on Oromo militia
Local authorities blame an armed Oromo militia for the killings, as fighting over regional boundaries pushes thousands across the border into Kenya.
DR Congo and Rwanda clash over Francophonie leadership at Phnom Penh summit
Kinshasa threatens to leave the 53-member organisation if Rwanda's Louise Mushikiwabo wins a third term in Monday's vote.
Nigeria reports no new Ebola cases as DRC infections top 11,000
The NCDC says 28 contacts remain under watch, while the outbreak centred in eastern Congo has killed more than 5,000 people.
Nigeria court remands journalist Daniel Ojukwu over cybercrime charges
Media groups, the Committee to Protect Journalists, Amnesty International and SERAP want the FIJ reporter freed while the court hears his bail application.
Armed men attack Peter Obi campaign event in Lagos
Obi's Nigeria Democratic Congress blames the ruling APC for the assault, which a witness says smashed the hall's doors and glass walls.
Dangote Refinery draws $4.1bn in bids for Africa's largest listing
South Africa's PIC and Nigerian pension managers sought about $1bn of shares, Bloomberg reported, as the refinery's allotment nears regulatory approval.
Uganda stays on US do-not-travel list as Africa widens Ebola screening
South Africa has designated 36 hospitals and a pre-travel health questionnaire for arrivals from the DRC and Uganda as the Congolese outbreak passes 10,700 cases.