RSF CLAIMS CAPTURE OF BARA TOWN IN NORTH KORDOFAN, REPORTS HEAVY LOSSES FOR RIVAL FORCES.

BY NJOKI KARANJA 

March 16, 2026. 

Sudan’s paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has announced that its fighters have captured the strategic town of Bara in North Kordofan State following intense clashes with rival forces.

In a statement released on Monday, the RSF said its troops had achieved a “significant new victory” by taking control of Bara, describing the development as part of a broader military strategy aimed at expanding operational control and advancing toward what it called remaining strongholds of enemy forces.

The paramilitary group claimed its fighters inflicted heavy casualties on opposing troops it described as belonging to the Islamic Movement and allied militias. According to the statement, more than 500 fighters were killed during the confrontation, including several officers and members linked to the Al-Baraa bin Malik militia.

The RSF further said its forces seized 45 combat vehicles and destroyed others during the operation, in addition to capturing large quantities of weapons and military equipment. The statement added that dozens of opposing fighters fled toward the outskirts of El Obeid as RSF units continued pursuing retreating forces.

The group reiterated that it would continue fighting until it “liberates the entire country” from what it called terrorist forces linked to the Islamic Movement, blaming them for decades of conflict and political turmoil in Sudan since the 1989 coup.

The statement was issued by the official spokesperson of the RSF and framed the operation as part of what the group described as its “battle for democracy.”

The claims could not be independently verified, and there was no immediate response from the Sudanese Armed Forces or other parties involved in the ongoing conflict in Sudan.