UN reiterates call for “end to military conflict” as the SAF regain control of Al Sadarat Highway

United Nations, New York City

Sphinx News: Ahmed Ali

After the United Nations Human Rights Council recently warned that the Sudanese city of El-Obeid may face a similar fate to that of El Fasher in October 2025, recent military seizures by the Sudanese Armed Forces may preclude such a siege.

As of July 27, 2026, the Sudanese Armed Forces, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, have reported the recapture of several towns and cities between Khartoum and El-Obeid after two days of intense fighting with the RSF. Among the military advancements made, the SAF has also “inflicted heavy losses on lives and equipment” of the RSF, said Colonel Nabeel Abdallah, the official spokesperson for the Sudanese Armed Forces.

Perhaps the most important territorial gain has been the recapture of Al Sadarat Highway, an important brigade connecting the capital, Khartoum, with El-Obeid, a city that has been under siege by the RSF.

“With this victory, the forces have taken control of the export route of Omdurman Al-Abyd,” the army said, referring to the Al Sadarat Highway.

The highway marks a monumental development on the ground, connecting the capital, Khartoum, controlled by the SAF, to Kordofan, predominantly under the control of the RSF.

Access to the Al Sadarat Highway will allow the army to move fuel, troops, and equipment more quickly to El-Obeid instead of relying on the longer route through White Nile State.

Additionally, the Al Sadarat Highway serves as a vital corridor for the trade of livestock and agricultural products from the Kordofan region, representing a critical step toward alleviating the dire conditions faced by civilians in the area.

On the change, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General Farhan Haq told Sphinx News, “Obviously, different sides have sometimes had military gains. But our general standpoint is that there’s no military solution to this conflict. And as you know, our envoy, Pekka Haavisto, is working with the parties to get to a halt in fighting and to a negotiated solution.”

Speaking to reporters on June 25, 2026, Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General for Sudan Pekka Haavisto told reporters, “Unfortunately, the situation (in El-Obeid) reminds a little bit of the earlier developments in Darfur and around El-Fasher and reminds that there are immediate risks for the civilian population.”

“I actually had a telephone call with General Hemeti on Friday on this issue, and I said that all the eyes of the world are now on El-Obeid and following what’s happening there. And he confirmed to me that his intention is not to harm the civilians and his intention is to protect the humanitarian corridors to the city and so forth. And this is something that we have to now follow as exactly as we can,” added Haavisto.

Haavisto illuminated that drones continue to characterize much of the conflict’s indiscriminate nature, stating, “The use of drones as part of the conflict has been increasing, and the drone attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure have been increasing. And again, this is something that we should pay attention to. And of course, the drones are not Sudan-made; they come from the international market, and all ways and means to access this kind of technology, of course, should be looked at in this situation.”

Haavisto mentioned that communicating with international partners is a key detail in managing the war, adding that the United Nations continues to coordinate with “the African Union, IGAD, and the League of Arab States.”