Oil-Rich Kordofan: Sudan’s New Battleground in a Brutal Civil War

Sudan’s Kordofan region rich in oil, gold, and strategic trade routes has become the latest hotspot in a war tearing the country apart. Both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are locked in a brutal battle to control this resource-rich territory. Whoever holds Kordofan holds the key to pipelines, exports, and long-term leverage in what has become a fight not just for power but for survival.

The war, which broke out in April 2023, is largely rooted in a power struggle between Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan (SAF) and Gen. Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo (RSF). Both once served at the top of Sudan’s transitional government, but their rivalry exploded into full-scale war as they vied for dominance in a post-Bashir Sudan.

Now, the battle has shifted south and west to North and South Kordofan, where oil fields, supply lines, and ethnic militias have become fuel for a deadly fire.

To fully understand the war in Kordofan, it’s critical to see how Sudan is now a fragmented nation:

Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF)

Controls parts of the north, east, and the Red Sea coast, including Port Sudan, now the seat of the internationally recognized government.

Backed by former Islamist networks, remnants of the Bashir regime, and elements of the traditional northern elite.

Rapid Support Forces (RSF)

Controls large areas of Khartoum, Darfur, South and West Kordofan, and parts of central Sudan.

Supported by local Arab militias, the SPLM-North, and groups with grievances against Khartoum’s historical marginalization.

 Other Divisions:

SPLM-North rebels control parts of South Kordofan and Blue Nile.

Civilians and resistance committees operate autonomously in some cities, organizing defense and aid efforts.

Entire regions are governed not by one Sudanese state but by whichever faction holds the most guns.

Though Sudan remains one country in name, it is now functionally divided into competing mini-states, with no shared leadership, no unified army, and no common future in sight.

Casualties and Civilian Impact

• RSF raids in North Kordofan have killed nearly 300 civilians, including over 200 in Shag Alnom village alone.

• In South Kordofan, clashes around the oil town of Abu Jubeiha have led to mass displacement and destruction.

• Nationally, over 20,000 people have been killed, with some estimates as high as 150,000.

• More than 12 million people have been displaced, and famine looms for two-thirds of the population.

Sudan’s war has fractured the country along ethnic, military, and regional lines. The battle for Kordofanis the latest and perhaps most dangerous chapter.

The war in Kordofan isn’t just about oil, t’s about what remains of Sudan as a country.

Without urgent international diplomacy and a credible peace process, Sudan risks complete collapseand the fight for Kordofan may be just the beginning.

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