Sudanese army claims entry into Dilling, ends RSF two-year siege

Sudanese army forces said they entered the city of Dilling in South Kordofan on Jan. 26, 2026, declaring an end to a siege imposed by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces that military officials said had lasted roughly two years. The move marks a rare change in control in a conflict that has fragmented authority across much of Sudan since fighting erupted between the army and the RSF in 2023.

Dilling, the administrative center for South Kordofan, has been a strategic and symbolic prize throughout cycles of Sudanese conflict. Its capture by army units following months of contested approaches could help reopen supply lines and create a corridor for humanitarian actors, though relief delivery will depend on security on main routes and clearance of unexploded ordnance and other hazards left by fighting.

The RSF emerged from Janjaweed militias and grew into a powerful paramilitary force whose confrontation with the Sudanese Armed Forces triggered nationwide violence, displacing millions and straining regional stability. In South Kordofan the toll has been particularly severe: communities in and around Dilling have endured intermittent shelling, shortages of food and medical supplies, and cuts to electricity and communications as front lines shifted. Local residents and aid organizations have repeatedly described the impact of blockades and sieges on access to basic services and medical care.

Securing Dilling will present immediate practical challenges. Restoring civil administration, reestablishing water and power systems, and enabling aid convoys to operate safely will require coordination between military authorities, humanitarian organizations, and local leaders. There is also risk that the RSF will attempt to strike back elsewhere or that splintered militias will exploit any security vacuum, threatening civilians and complicating efforts to restore order.

The development carries wider regional implications. South Kordofan lies near contested borderlands and along routes that connect Sudan to South Sudan and Central Africa. Shifts in control may alter patterns of displacement and could trigger new cross-border movements of refugees and fighters. Regional powers and multilateral institutions that have engaged intermittently in mediation efforts will be watching how both sides manage the aftermath, and whether the change on the ground is consolidated through political or military arrangements.

Under international humanitarian law, sieges that prevent civilians from receiving food, medical care, and other essentials can amount to unlawful collective punishment. The reported lifting of the siege in Dilling will draw scrutiny from human rights investigators and aid agencies assessing responsibilities for civilian suffering and for prompt restoration of relief access.

Any stabilization of Dilling will likely be only a piece of a larger and unsettled puzzle. Diplomacy aimed at a durable cessation of hostilities has advanced and stalled in turns since 2023, and the balance of power remains fragmented across Sudan’s vast territory. For residents of Dilling, the immediate priorities will be safety, emergency assistance, and clarity about governance on the ground. For policymakers and diplomats, the capture underscores that military shifts continue to shape the conflict’s trajectory and that an inclusive political settlement remains essential to prevent renewed cycles of violence.