The Sudanese Armed Forces say they have retaken Kazqil and Um Dam Haj Ahmed in North Kordofan, with video showing soldiers celebrating the captures. The conflict, now in its third year, has displaced over 12 million people and caused widespread death and hunger. Yale’s Humanitarian Research Lab identified four new suspected body‑disposal sites around el‑Fasher and estimates roughly 150,000 civilians are unaccounted for. The RSF has said it accepted an international ceasefire proposal, but the army has refused to agree to terms based on current frontlines.
Sudan: Army Retakes Two North Kordofan Areas as RSF Accused of Burning Bodies in El‑Fasher
The Sudanese Armed Forces say they have retaken Kazqil and Um Dam Haj Ahmed in North Kordofan, with video showing soldiers celebrating the captures. The conflict, now in its third year, has displaced over 12 million people and caused widespread death and hunger. Yale’s Humanitarian Research Lab identified four new suspected body‑disposal sites around el‑Fasher and estimates roughly 150,000 civilians are unaccounted for. The RSF has said it accepted an international ceasefire proposal, but the army has refused to agree to terms based on current frontlines.
08:37 PM, 11/15/2025Conflict
SAF says it has reclaimed Kazqil and Um Dam Haj Ahmed
The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), aligned with the government, say they have recaptured two locations in North Kordofan — Kazqil and Um Dam Haj Ahmed — from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Video circulating online shows soldiers armed with assault rifles and rocket‑propelled grenades celebrating the takeovers, in a state where analysts warn fierce fighting may continue in the coming weeks.
Strategic context
Kazqil, which fell to the RSF in late October, lies south of el‑Obeid, the strategic capital of North Kordofan in central Sudan. The RSF has sought to expand its control from western areas into central regions, and the town of Bara — seized by the RSF around the same time it captured el‑Fasher — is seen as a crucial link between Darfur and central Sudan. The army had briefly retaken Bara two months earlier.
Wider conflict and humanitarian toll
The fighting between the rival commanders — the army chief and the RSF leader — began in April 2023 and has now entered its third year. Fueled in part by regional arms flows, the conflict has produced what the United Nations describes as the world's largest displacement crisis: more than 12 million people have been driven from their homes, tens of thousands are reported killed or injured, and the UN has confirmed starvation in parts of the country.
Ceasefire offer and continued mobilization
Last week the RSF announced it had accepted a ceasefire proposal put forward by the United States and other mediators following international condemnation over alleged atrocities in el‑Fasher. The army, however, has refused to accept a ceasefire based on current frontlines. Both sides continue to mobilize troops and equipment in central regions in preparation for further clashes.
Allegations of mass body disposal in el‑Fasher
More than two and a half weeks after the RSF's full takeover of el‑Fasher, satellite imagery analysis by Yale University’s Humanitarian Research Lab (HRL) identified four new locations around the city where activities consistent with body disposal were observed. Those sites include the University of Alfashir, a structure on the edge of the Abu Shouk camp for internally displaced people, a neighbourhood near al‑Hikma Mosque, and Saudi Hospital — a site HRL says is linked to large-scale killings.
"We can see them charred. So the question is, where are the people and where are the bodies coming from?" — Nathaniel Raymond, lead researcher, Yale HRL.
The HRL cautioned it could not determine exact casualty counts or the rate of deaths from satellite imagery alone, but described the findings as alarming given that many civilians remain unaccounted for. Raymond estimated some 150,000 civilians are missing and noted that daily monitoring shows no civilian activity at markets or water points — only RSF patrols and numerous bodies. He also highlighted that the RSF has released many videos that document their own actions.
Outlook
With both sides unwilling to accept a ceasefire on current terms and continuing to consolidate positions, analysts warn the central corridor of Sudan could see further intense fighting. Humanitarian access and independent verification remain critical as reports of mass killings and large‑scale displacement continue to emerge.