The Joint Forces, a coalition of armed groups aligned with the Sudanese military, said in a statement late Monday that its fighters had seized full control of Kulbus in West Darfur following what it described as decisive battles against RSF forces. The group said it inflicted heavy losses on the paramilitary force and captured military vehicles and weapons.

The RSF has not commented on the claim, and Reuters could not independently verify the battlefield developments.

Kulbus occupies a strategic position along a key corridor near the Chadian border, roughly midway between the army-controlled border town of Al-Tina in North Darfur and El-Geneina, the capital of West Darfur, which remains under RSF control.

The Sudanese military has retained limited positions along the border with Chad after losing much of the Darfur region to the RSF, which consolidated its control following the capture of El-Fasher, the army’s last major stronghold in Darfur.

A pro-army popular resistance group accused the RSF of using Kulbus as a logistical hub and staging point for fighters allegedly crossing from Chad into western Sudan. Chad has repeatedly denied supporting the RSF, although Sudanese authorities have continued to accuse its neighbor of facilitating assistance to the paramilitary group.

Video circulated by local media appeared to show men in Sudanese army uniforms celebrating in front of a sign identifying Kulbus in West Darfur. Reuters was unable to independently verify the footage.

Fighting has intensified along the frontier between North and West Darfur in recent months as government forces seek to secure supply routes and strengthen their presence along the border.
The army-controlled town of Al-Tina has faced repeated RSF attacks this year and has been identified by the United Nations as an area at risk of famine.

International organizations, including the United Nations, have also warned of a possible RSF offensive against El-Obeid in neighboring Kordofan, raising concerns that the city could face a similar assault to the one that resulted in the fall of El-Fasher.

The conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF, which erupted in April 2023, has entered its fourth year, killing tens of thousands of people, displacing millions and fueling what humanitarian agencies describe as the world’s largest hunger crisis.