RSF Seizes Strategic Heglig Oilfield in Sudan, Expanding Control Amid Escalating Conflict
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Sudan's powerful paramilitary group, announced a significant strategic victory on Monday, claiming control of the crucial Heglig oilfield located in the nation's South Kordofan province. This assertion was later corroborated by Sudan's military government, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), which confirmed its withdrawal from the area.
This latest development marks a critical expansion for the RSF, which has been locked in a bitter two-and-a-half-year conflict with the SAF. Following its consolidation of power in the western Darfur region last month, the RSF is now actively pushing its territorial gains eastwards and southwards.
Youssef Alian, who heads the RSF-affiliated “civil administration” in the region encompassing the oilfield, stated that the takeover was coordinated under his supervision. He emphasized facilitating the deployment of a “special, qualified, and trained force” to secure the Heglig field and safeguard its vital oil installations from potential sabotage or threats.
Strategic Importance of Heglig
Heglig is not just any oilfield; it stands as Sudan's largest and serves as the primary processing hub for neighboring South Sudan's oil exports. Its capture provides the RSF with a potentially enormous source of revenue and leverage in the ongoing conflict.
The RSF's current strategy involves mobilizing forces to seize more territory in Sudan's southern and central regions. Their eastward thrust into the vast Kordofan region potentially opens a route towards the capital, Khartoum, from which the SAF had previously dislodged its paramilitary rivals earlier this year. Control over central Sudan, a major agricultural hub, along with access to the nation's gold reserves and further oil deposits found in southern Kordofan, presents significant funding opportunities for the RSF. Heglig itself is situated in the far south of this resource-rich region.
The fight for Heglig has been intense. In August, drone strikes temporarily halted operations at the facility. An anonymous army source, speaking to AFP, appeared to confirm the capture, noting that SAF troops withdrew to “protect the oil facilities and prevent damage.” Alian's administration has since restricted access to the oilfield, allowing only a specially formed task force dedicated to its “protection.” The RSF views this “liberation of the Heglig oil region” as a pivotal step towards “the liberation of the entire homeland.”
An engineer, who wished to remain unnamed, informed AFP that both army personnel and oilfield workers were evacuated to South Sudan, and the processing plant handling South Sudanese oil was also shut down.
Sudan has been embroiled in a devastating civil war since April 2023, a conflict that has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced over 12 million people, according to United Nations figures. The humanitarian crisis is dire, with approximately 30 million individuals requiring urgent aid.