The Sudanese army has captured the Bir Kelekel area in West Darfur following clashes with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the state’s governor said on Wednesday, in an advance in a region largely controlled by the RSF.
West Darfur Governor Bahr al-Din Adam Karama said the army and allied forces had made “significant progress” in Bir Kelekel, in the eastern part of Jebel Moon district.
Karama described the area as strategically important because of its proximity to Jebel Moon. He said military operations along the West Darfur front are continuing.
Military officers also posted videos on social media announcing that government forces had taken control of the area.
The RSF could not immediately be reached for comment.
On Oct. 5, the Joint Force of armed groups allied with the army said its forces, alongside army troops, had captured Bir Saliba in West Darfur after fighting with the RSF.
The gains come as Sudan remains divided between rival forces. The army controls most of the north, east and centre of the country, including the capital, Khartoum, while the RSF holds most of Darfur and parts of Kordofan. Front lines remain contested in several areas.
Sudan has been at war since April 2023, when fighting erupted between the army and the RSF following a dispute over plans to integrate the paramilitary force into the regular military. The conflict has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions, triggering one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises.
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