Sudan redeploys army to retake Kordofan and Darfur from RSF

In January 2026, the Sudanese army began redeploying its forces to Kordofan and Darfur. The military aims to retake control of these regions from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). This redeployment occurs as the Sudanese government returns to Khartoum, the country's capital, for the first time since the conflict with the RSF began in 2023. The army's actions signify an escalation in the ongoing conflict between the Sudanese military and the RSF, as the government seeks to regain territory lost during the past three years.

After nearly three years operating from Port Sudan due to civil war, Sudan's military-led government has returned to the capital, Khartoum. Prime Minister Kamil Idris announced the government's focus on restoring essential services like electricity, water, healthcare, and education for Khartoum residents. The move follows the army's recapture of the city from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in March 2024. The civil war between the army and the RSF, which began after a power struggle between General Abdel Fattah-al Burhan and General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, has resulted in a severe humanitarian crisis, displacing approximately 12 million people and causing at least 150,000 deaths. International efforts to mediate peace have been unsuccessful, with both sides receiving support from foreign powers.

In January 2026, Sudan's Prime Minister Kamil Idris announced the government's return to Khartoum after nearly three years in Port Sudan, the wartime capital. The government fled Khartoum in April 2023 after the city was quickly overrun by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) during the outbreak of the civil war with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). Since the army recaptured Khartoum in March 2025, the government has pursued a gradual return. The capital, comprised of Khartoum, Omdurman, and Khartoum North, experienced intense fighting, displacement, and destruction. The government has pledged to improve services and rebuild infrastructure in the war-ravaged city, where tens of thousands are estimated to have died.