The Sudanese army has announced it has broken a nearly two-year siege imposed by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on the crucial southern city of el-Obeid.
This breakthrough occurred just hours after the RSF signed a political charter in Nairobi, Kenya, to create a breakaway government in regions under its control.
Since April 2023, the RSF and the army have been engaged in a brutal struggle for power, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths and millions displaced. The war has divided the country, with the army in control of the north and east, while the RSF holds most of Darfur in the west and parts of the south.
El-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan state, is strategically important as it connects Khartoum, the capital, to Darfur. The army's recent success follows the recapture of several areas in Khartoum from the RSF in recent weeks.
There were celebrations in the streets as Sudanese soldiers entered the city. A military spokesperson, Nabil Abdallah, confirmed the army's success, stating that it had destroyed RSF units.
Finance Minister Jibril Ibrahim called the breakthrough a "massive step" in lifting the RSF siege of el-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, and improving access to humanitarian aid for Kordofan.
Sudanese civil society activist Dallia Abdlemoniem told the BBC that the recapture of el-Obeid was a "huge" and "significant" development. She explained that the RSF had effectively "held civilians captive for nearly two years" in the city, where the situation was described as "horrific," with no medical or food aid reaching the population in an area at risk of famine and malnutrition. Abdlemoniem expressed hope that more aid could now reach the region.
"Lifting the siege brings life back to the city," said Ahmed Hussein, a 53-year-old trader in el-Obeid.
Abdlemoniem added that the army was making progress in moving westward, where the RSF is mainly concentrated.
Meanwhile, ongoing fighting near el-Fasher has led Doctors Without Borders (MSF) to suspend operations at the nearby Zamzam camp, which shelters about 500,000 displaced people. MSF described the decision as "heartbreaking," but said it had no choice due to the dangers posed to its staff.
Both the army and the RSF have been accused of committing serious atrocities against civilians during the conflict, with their leaders facing U.S. sanctions. The RSF has been specifically accused of committing genocide in Darfur, though both groups deny the charges.
The RSF's recent efforts to form a parallel government in Kenya have drawn criticism from human rights organizations. On Sunday, Sudan's Foreign Minister Ali Youssef declared that Sudan would not accept any country recognizing such a government. In response, Sudan's military government warned of possible retaliation against Kenya and recalled its ambassador from Nairobi.
Kenya's foreign ministry defended its stance, stating that it had no ulterior motives in providing a neutral platform for dialogue among conflicting parties.
Meanwhile: For as long as Nelly Naisula Sironka can remember, she has never wanted children. At 28 years old, the Kenyan woman has made a permanent decision to ensure she never will. In October, she chose to undergo tubal ligation, a sterilisation procedure that closes off her fallopian tubes, forever closing the door on motherhood.
"I feel liberated," says Sironka, an organisational development expert, in an interview with the BBC. "This decision has given me complete control over my future."
Tubal ligation, sometimes referred to as "getting your tubes tied," is a procedure that prevents pregnancy by blocking the fallopian tubes. In Kenya, between 2020 and 2023, approximately 16,000 women underwent the procedure, according to the Ministry of Health. However, it's unclear how many of these women did not already have children.
Dr Nelly Bosire, a Nairobi-based gynaecologist, notes that the profile of women seeking sterilisation in Kenya is changing. "Historically, tubal ligation was most common among women with multiple children," she explains. "Now, we're seeing more women with fewer children opting for the procedure."
Doctors typically recommend sterilisation only for women who are certain they do not want biological children, as reversing the procedure is difficult and the success rate is low. Dr. Bosire adds, "Doctors rarely encourage tubal ligation because a reversal often isn't successful."
Though Sironka comes from a large family, she has never felt societal pressure to start her own. In Kenya, there is often an expectation that women will have children, but she credits her father for encouraging her to focus on education and instilling a love for reading. Continue the story here.....
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