Kadugli, February 03 (Darfur24)
Sudanese armed forces broke the siege imposed on the city of Kadugli, the capital of South Kordofan State, on Monday after months of isolation, according to field sources.
Sources told Darfur24 that army forces reached Kadugli on Monday evening, following fierce clashes in the Al-Kuweik area, north of the city, that lasted for more than three hours. The fighting ended with the army breaching the forward positions of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and their ally, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement–North (SPLM-N), and opening the main road leading into the city.
The sources stated that the forces imposing the siege had retreated, allowing the army to enter Kadugli and end years of isolation that had contributed to a sharp deterioration in living conditions, including severe shortages of food, medicines, and basic services.
Observers believe the lifting of the siege could pave the way for the resumption of commercial activity, the arrival of humanitarian and medical assistance, and facilitate the movement of patients and students, amid worsening humanitarian conditions caused by prolonged conflict.
On January 26, the army announced it had lifted the siege on the city of Dilling after its forces reached it from Hebeila, an area that had been under the control of the RSF and SPLM-N.
With the army’s entry into Kadugli, the road linking Kadugli and Dilling via Habila, Abu Kershola, and Al-Rahad in North Kordofan State is expected to reopen to civilian movement, trade, and humanitarian aid.