The Sudanese Armed Forces and their allied Joint Force units have regained control of the Al-Atrun Oasis, a key location near the Sudan-Libya-Chad border triangle, following a coordinated military operation launched over the weekend.
Darfur Regional Governor Minni Arko Minawi, who also heads the Joint Force overseeing the operation, announced the successful offensive on Sunday, hailing it as a significant victory against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
“Our heroes in the Armed Forces and the Joint Forces have liberated the strategic Al-Atrun area from the grip of the terrorist RSF militia,” Minawi wrote on social media platform X. “Victory is imminent, and we will soon celebrate across Darfur.”
Al-Atrun, located within the Al-Wahat administrative unit of Al-Maliha locality in North Darfur, has been a critical zone due to its position along a road connecting Sudan’s Northern and North Darfur states with Libya and Chad. The RSF had taken control of the area earlier this year, using it to facilitate supply routes from eastern Sudan.
Joint Force spokesperson Ahmed Hussein Mustafa confirmed that the operation involved “precise coordination” with the Sudanese army and resulted in heavy RSF losses in personnel and equipment. He described the recapture as “a turning point” in restoring control over Sudan’s western territories and pledged continued efforts to secure civilians.
The advance in the desert area of North Darfur is part of a broader military push to relieve the ongoing RSF siege of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur. Concurrent efforts are also being made in the Kordofan region to reopen supply corridors and reestablish government authority.
The successful operation in Al-Atrun marks a notable development in the ongoing conflict between Sudan’s military and the RSF, as government forces aim to reverse months of territorial losses and stabilize critical regions affected by the war.