The Sudanese army says it has retaken the town of Kulbus in West Darfur, hailing the operation as a major breakthrough in its struggle against the Rapid Support Forces along the Chadian border.

Kulbus sits on a crucial corridor that links the army-held border town of Al-Tina in North Darfur with El-Geneina, the capital of West Darfur, which remains under RSF control. Military officials and allied militias argue that control of this strip of territory is essential to stem cross-border movements of fighters and weapons and to reassert a state presence in a region that has largely slipped from army hands.

The Joint Forces, a coalition of armed groups aligned with the army, announced they had taken “full control” of Kulbus after what they described as decisive battles. Their statement claimed heavy losses among RSF units and the capture of vehicles and weapons. None of these claims could be independently verified, and the RSF has yet to issue a response.

Pro-army popular resistance groups accuse the RSF of having turned Kulbus into a staging ground for thousands of fighters crossing from Chad and a logistical hub feeding RSF positions in El-Geneina. Securing the town, they argue, is key to disrupting those supply lines and shoring up the army’s fragile foothold in Darfur.

Footage circulated by local media appears to show men in Sudanese army uniforms celebrating beneath a road sign marking the entrance to Kulbus locality in West Darfur. While the images suggest at least a visible army presence, the wider situation on the ground remains opaque amid restricted access for journalists and aid workers.

The battle for Kulbus comes as fighting intensifies along the frontier between North and West Darfur. The army is attempting to carve out a secure corridor along the Chadian border, while accusing Chad of tacitly siding with the RSF, an allegation N’Djamena denies.

Al-Tina, already identified by the United Nations as being at risk of famine, has faced repeated RSF assaults, underscoring how front-line combat and humanitarian collapse are increasingly intertwined.

Beyond Darfur, international agencies and foreign governments have warned of a possible RSF offensive on El-Obeid in the neighbouring Kordofan region, raising fears of a repeat of the devastating campaign that led to the fall of El-Fasher. Now in its fourth year, the war has killed tens of thousands, uprooted millions and driven Sudan into what aid agencies describe as the world’s largest hunger crisis.