Fierce Battles Rage On – What Is the Strategic Importance of Babnousa in Kordofan?

Report by: Fath Al-Rahman Shabarqa

Senior field and military leaders told Al Jazeera Net that the fierce clashes and violent battles that have rocked the city of Babnousa in West Kordofan State over the past days are due to its strategic and military significance and its potential to decisively alter the course of the escalating war between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in western Sudan.

Former Chief of Staff of the Sudanese Army, General Hashim Abdel Muttalib, told Al Jazeera Net that the RSF, realizing it cannot maintain a presence in any Kordofan city, attacked Babnousa in an effort to distract the army and divert it from its primary goal: retaking the resistant city of El Fasher.

In a bold military operation on Thursday, the Sudanese army managed to carry out an aerial supply drop to support the besieged 22nd Infantry Division stationed in Babnousa, which has been under continuous RSF fire. The RSF is seeking control of the city to choke off El-Obeid and hinder the advance of the army’s “Al-Sayyad Mobile Force” towards the major cities of Darfur.

Strategic Location

Babnousa lies in West Kordofan State, approximately 700 kilometers southwest of Khartoum, and is considered one of western Sudan’s key economic cities. It is well-known for the Babnousa Dairy Plant and is a major railway junction connecting Sudan’s west to its east and north to its south.

The city has historically attracted skilled workers and government employees from across Sudan to work in the dairy plant and railway workshops. It also houses the Western Region Railway Headquarters and, before the war, had a major marketplace that made it a prominent economic hub.

Since the war erupted on April 15, 2023, Babnousa has come under frequent RSF attacks, being relentlessly shelled in an ongoing effort to capture the city — as has happened in other areas of western Sudan.

In West Kordofan, the Sudanese army still maintains control over Babnousa and the oil fields of Heglig, while the RSF, over more than two years of war, has taken control of Al-Fula (the state capital), and the cities of Abu Zabad, An-Nuhud, Al-Mairam, Al-Mujlad, Lagawa, Wad Banda, and Al-Khuwei, where fierce fighting also erupted on Thursday. Field sources told Al Jazeera Net that recapturing Al-Khuwei by the army is now only a matter of time.

Gateway to Darfur

Explaining why Babnousa has witnessed such intense fighting — rivaled only by El Fasher in western Sudan — regional analyst Ahmed Suleiman Goor told Al Jazeera Net that Babnousa is a gateway through which the army could swiftly enter Darfur.

If the expected convergence between the “Al-Sayyad Mobile Force” and the 22nd Division in Babnousa occurs, Goor said, it could spell the collapse of the RSF’s plans in Darfur.

From the west, Babnousa is around 360 kilometers by rail from Nyala, and if the army forces unite in Babnousa, it would facilitate their entry into both Ed Daein and Nyala.

Goor also highlighted Babnousa’s southern border with South Sudan, with a railway line extending to Wau, a city inside South Sudan. On the western asphalt route via An-Nuhud, Babnousa is approximately 420 kilometers from El Fasher, underscoring its strategic importance.

More critically, Goor warned that if the RSF captures Babnousa, it could become a key supply route for the militia via Chad and the Central African Republic. Moreover, the SPLM-N rebel movement could attempt to infiltrate the region from the east, and the RSF could potentially besiege El-Obeid, making its fall far more likely.

Nevertheless, Goor strongly ruled out this scenario, asserting that the 22nd Infantry Division remains resilient, enjoying the focus and backing of military leadership, given the city’s strategic importance.

The Secret Behind the Army’s Resilience

With intense and repeated clashes in Babnousa since May, many Sudanese have been questioning how the 22nd Infantry Division has managed to remain resilient in the face of successive RSF offensives.

General Hashim Abdel Muttalib attributed the steadfastness to the division’s confident leadership, well-trained soldiers, and unit cohesion, all of which foster the morale and fighting willpower that breaks enemy offensives.

He noted that the RSF’s real interest lies in El Fasher, not Babnousa, and that its operations in West Kordofan are tactical diversions to distract the army from retaking El Fasher. The RSF also fears that if the Sudanese Armed Forces solidify control over Kordofan, they could advance to liberate Ed Daein.

The 22nd Division in Babnousa includes the 90th Brigade (Heglig), stationed near the South Sudan border, and the 89th Brigade (Babnousa). The 92nd Brigade (Balila), which had previously withdrawn, is now under RSF control.

A Flashpoint Reignited

After a months-long lull, Babnousa has once again returned to the frontlines of the war, emerging as one of the hottest conflict zones in Sudan, particularly following a multi-front RSF assault on army positions within the city.

In response, Sudanese army spokesperson Brigadier General Nabil Abdullah announced that the 22nd Division successfully repelled and crushed a major RSF assault, for which the militia had reportedly gathered a large number of mercenaries and military hardware. The attack failed due to the army’s steadfastness and preparedness.

Brigadier Abdullah repeatedly confirmed that the army repelled the RSF’s violent assault and even launched a counterattack, destroying significant RSF equipment and vehicles, killing dozens of RSF fighters. He emphasized that Babnousa will remain impenetrable to the militia and a graveyard for any force that dares approach it.

Well-informed field sources in the region told Al Jazeera Net that the RSF is likely to continue massing troops and weapons in an attempt to retake Babnousa. However, they also expected the Sudanese army to hold firm, defending the city because of its vital strategic importance and the direct impact it has on the wider war in western Sudan.

Source: Al Jazeera