SAF breaks Sennar siege, isolates RSF forces in Sinja and Suki

KHARTOUM – The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have retaken control of the strategic Jebel Moya region, ending a three-month siege that had isolated parts of White Nile and Sennar states. This marks a significant victory for the SAF in its ongoing battle against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Jebel Moya, located about 150 kilometers south of the capital Khartoum, was captured by the RSF in late June. The RSF’s control of the area cut off critical roads connecting Sennar and White Nile states, further isolating these regions.

The SAF’s recapture of Jebel Moya re-establishes connectivity between the two states and ends siege that was imposed on Sennar city.

The Sennar-Rabak highway is now the only open route linking northern and eastern Sudan with White Nile and southern states. By regaining this key area, the SAF has also managed to isolate RSF forces in Sinja, the capital of Sennar state, and in Suki on the eastern bank of the Blue Nile River.

Following the SAF’s victory, the army’s deputy commander-in-chief visited the recaptured area and announced plans to expand operations both north and south. The army now aims to retake Madani, the capital of Al Jazira State, which fell to RSF forces in December.

The recapture of Jebel Moya is the latest in a string of battlefield victories for the SAF. In late September, the SAF launched a successful offensive to reclaim three critical bridges in Khartoum, marking a significant shift in control.

On September 25, the army regained control of the White Nile, El-Butihab (Victory), and Halfaya bridges, which had been held by the RSF.

While the SAF has secured the western entrances to these key crossings, it remains just a few hundred meters from gaining full control of the eastern side of the White Nile and El-Butihab bridges.

However, the army has successfully consolidated its hold over the Halfaya neighborhood in Khartoum Bahri (Khartoum North), positioning itself for further advances.

Despite the setback, the RSF has not officially acknowledged the SAF’s recapture of Jebel Moya. However, an RSF commander’s advisor, Al-Basha Tabiq, ridiculed the SAF’s recent achievements on social media, suggesting that the army’s priorities had shifted to celebrating minor victories.

“An army that is more than 100 years old, with infantry, aviation, engineers, navy, paratroopers, armored units, strategic forces, weapons, intelligence, reconnaissance, military manufacturing, security apparatus, operations authority, police, central reserve, security police, popular police, popular defense, terrorist Al-Baraa battalions, mobilized forces, and over 15 armed mercenary movements—has your entire dream now become just crossing a bridge and opening a street?,” Tabiq wrote on October 6, referring to the opening of the Sennar-Rabak road and the recent SAF crossing of three bridges in the capital Khartoum.

Currently, the RSF holds sway over most of Sennar state, controlling areas from Sinja southward to the Blue Nile State border, and eastward to the boundaries of Al Gadaref state.