# Sudan's Army Says It Has Retaken Highway Linking Khartoum and El Obeid

Control of the Al Sadarat highway would help the army block the Rapid Support Forces from seizing El Obeid in North Kordofan.

- Published: 2026-07-27T05:10:12.425Z
- Canonical: https://polylog.news/2026-07-27/sudan-s-army-says-it-has-retaken-highway-linking-khartoum-an
- Publisher: Polylog (Global desk)
- Section: world
- Sources: [Al Jazeera](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/27/sudans-army-claims-control-of-major-highway-linking-khartoum-and-el-obeid), [Al Jazeera](https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/7/27/sudans-army-regains-control-of-highway-linking-khartoum-with-el-obeid)

Sudan's army said it had regained full control of the Al Sadarat highway connecting the capital Khartoum with the city of El Obeid, [Al Jazeera reported](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/27/sudans-army-claims-control-of-major-highway-linking-khartoum-and-el-obeid). The army said the capture would help it block the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) from advancing on El Obeid in North Kordofan.

In a [separate report](https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/7/27/sudans-army-regains-control-of-highway-linking-khartoum-with-el-obeid), Al Jazeera described the highway as a strategic supply route whose control shapes the movement of forces and goods across central Sudan. The claim came from the army and has not been independently verified, and the RSF has not confirmed the loss.

The fight for El Obeid is part of a broader war between the army and the RSF that has displaced millions and disrupted farming and trade across the country.

## What this means

Control of highways determines whether food, fuel and fighters can move across Sudan, so each shift in the front line affects the supply of agricultural goods the country produces and the flow of aid to civilians. A war that continues near key routes keeps part of northeast Africa unstable, which matters for Red Sea trade, regional refugee flows and the Gulf states backing rival sides.

## What to watch

- Whether the army holds the highway or the RSF counterattacks, which decides the fate of El Obeid.
- The effect on food and aid deliveries to central Sudan, a measure of the war's humanitarian and supply toll.