Alleged - Intense fighting is reported in Sudan’s West Kordofan state, where the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) say they have repelled an assault on their headquarters in the town of Babnusa, as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) presses eastwards from Darfur. 

The SAF reports that fighters from its elite 22nd Infantry Division held off a sustained RSF attack, which involved heavy weapons and drones. Babnusa, long besieged, is described in the report as the army’s “last stronghold” in the province.  At the same time, multiple sources cite mounting allegations of mass atrocities and a dire humanitarian situation unfolding in the region. 

Beyond the immediate firefight lies a broader strategic battle. The RSF’s drive into West Kordofan, if successful, would threaten key supply lines and oil-infrastructure corridors, and may shift the complexion of the war by connecting its Darfur gains with a path toward central Sudan. Conversely, the SAF’s hold on Babnusa offers a vital bulwark—but the continued siege and attrition suggest the balance may be tilting. The mounting humanitarian emergency adds another complication, with displaced communities, disrupted aid routes and unverified reports of atrocities pressing harder. The story of this fight is not only what happens on the battlefield, but what it signals for the country’s future, regional stability and the humanitarian outlook.

For business and humanitarian actors, the stakes are significant. A collapse of army control in this sector raises risks of supply-chain disruption for oil and agricultural production, elevated security insurance costs and growing displacement flows across the Sahel corridor. Humanitarian responders must heed the warning: this is not just another front line, but a potential tipping point. As one analyst noted, this battle may define which side controls western Sudan’s strategic gateways—not simply territories.

While global attention often stays on the capital, the fight in West Kordofan may be the real hinge on which the wider conflict turns. The question is no longer just who holds Babnusa today, but who controls the corridors of power tomorrow.