Khaberni - The Rapid Support Forces stormed the Heglig oil field in West Kordofan state, southern Sudan, this Monday morning, in a new development that reflects the expanding scope of conflict between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces since the outbreak of war between them in April 2023.
Local and military sources reported that the attack targeted the strategic field adjacent to South Sudan as well as the site of the 90th Infantry Brigade of the army in the surroundings of the area, leading to violent clashes and initial estimates of casualties amid continued security tensions in the region.
An engineer working in the field confirmed that the Rapid Support Forces took control of the facility at dawn today, forcing the technical teams to shut down the field and the nearby processing station before the workers were evacuated to inside South Sudan.
The Heglig field is located at the extreme south of Kordofan State at the border with South Sudan and is the largest oil field in the country, a main facility for pumping oil produced from South Sudan through the pipeline to Port Sudan on the Red Sea for export, making controlling it a strong blow to the Sudanese energy sector.
This strategic region has witnessed bloody battles in recent weeks after the Rapid Support Forces took full control of the entire Darfur region in western the country at the end of October.
A source in the Sudanese army told Al Jazeera that the army withdrew from the Heglig field in West Kordofan to avoid destruction to the oil fields. According to the source, the civilian workers from the Heglig field were evacuated and safety precautions in the oil fields were enacted.
Earlier, military sources told Al Jazeera that the Rapid Support Forces attacked the 90th Brigade of the army in Heglig, adding that they are aiming to control the city, which includes several oil fields and houses foreign companies that withdrew towards South Sudan after preemptive attacks by the Rapid Support Forces.
The attack comes despite the Rapid Support Forces having accepted a three-month humanitarian ceasefire two weeks ago, and it is not the first of its kind; as the Sudanese authorities had previously accused them in November of launching an attack with drones on the Juba oil processing station in White Nile state, causing a temporary halt to oil exports.
Advance for the Army
In another field development, the Sudanese army announced that it has made progress in the south and has taken over positions of the Rapid Support Forces in the three Kordofan states.
The three Kordofan states have been witnessing bloody battles for weeks, after the Rapid Support Forces tightened their control over the entire Darfur region in October.
Similarly, the Sudanese army said it repelled a drone attack launched by the Rapid Support Forces in the city of Damazin, the capital of Blue Nile state.
In contrast, the Rapid Support Forces accused the Sudanese army of bombing the Adré border crossing with Chad, and accused the Sudanese government of transporting innocent citizens from various states to what is called Afafadh camp in the city of El Debba in Northern state, for political purposes.
In a statement, they said they have been closely monitoring suspicious movements of what they called the Port Sudan gang and entities linked to the military intelligence of the Muslim Brotherhood, aiming to weave a conspiracy and spread fabricated reports about mass rape, according to the statement. The network had said yesterday that its teams at the Afafadh camp documented 19 cases of rape by the Rapid Support Forces.
Mass Displacement
On the humanitarian front, the International Organization for Migration announced yesterday, Sunday, that approximately 450 people were displaced last Friday alone from Kadugli, the capital of South Kordofan state, southern the country, due to worsening security and escalating violations by the Rapid Support Forces.
Kadugli has been suffering from a blockade imposed by the Rapid Support Forces and "the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North" led by Abdel Aziz al-Hilu since the early months of the war, and repeated attacks by artillery and drones.
There are no statistics on the population of Kadugli, but it has experienced large waves of displacement at intervals to the peripheries and surrounding areas.
According to UN estimates, more than 41,000 people have fled the escalating violence in North and South Kordofan states during the last month.
Out of a total of 18 states across the country, the Rapid Support Forces control all five states of the Darfur region in the west, except for some northern parts of North Darfur state in the control of the army, which dominates most areas of the remaining 13 states, including the capital, Khartoum.
