RSF seizes key Heglig oilfield as it pushes to expand control in Sudan

Heglig is Sudan’s largest lipid tract and besides the main processing installation for neighbouring South Sudan’s lipid exports.

The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) says it has seized power of the strategical Heglig oilfield successful Sudan’s South Kordofan province.

The assertion aboriginal connected Monday was supported aboriginal by a connection issued by the subject government’s Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) saying it had withdrawn from the area. The takeover comes arsenic the RSF, embroiled successful a two-and-a-half-year struggle with the SAF, pushes to grow eastwards and southwards from the occidental Darfur region, implicit which it took afloat power past month.

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Youssef Alian, the caput of the RSF-affiliated “civil administration” successful the wherever the oilfield is situated, asserted successful a connection that the takeover happened nether his coordination.

He said that helium had helped “prepare a special, qualified and trained unit … to unafraid the Heglig tract and support lipid installations from immoderate acts of sabotage oregon threats that whitethorn impact their safety”.

The Heglig tract is the Sudan’s largest, and besides the main processing installation for neighbouring South Sudan’s lipid exports.

Fighting for resources

The RSF has been mobilising troops to instrumentality much areas successful the southbound and cardinal parts of Sudan.

It has made inroads from Darfur eastwards and to the south.

It was battling past week for power of the West Kordofan municipality of Babnusa, viewed arsenic a gateway to Darfur.

The eastwards propulsion into the elephantine Kordofan portion offers a imaginable way towards the Sudanese superior of Khartoum, from which the SAF pushed its paramilitary rival earlier this year.

The RSF propulsion would besides perchance connection important backing opportunities, with cardinal Sudan being a large cultivation centre.

Further to the southbound successful Kordofan tin beryllium recovered Sudan’s golden reserves, arsenic good arsenic oil.

Heglig lies successful the acold southbound of the region. Fierce warring has erupted successful caller weeks arsenic the RSF wrestles with the SAF for territory.

In August, drone strikes forced the authorities to temporarily suspend operations astatine the field.

An service root appeared to corroborate the seizure of Heglig, telling the AFP quality bureau that SAF troops withdrew “to support the lipid facilities and forestall damage”.

Alian said his medication has present constricted introduction to the oilfield to a task unit created to “protect” it.

“The liberation of the Heglig lipid portion is simply a pivotal constituent successful the liberation of the full homeland,” the RSF said successful a statement.

An unnamed technologist told AFP that the service and workers astatine the oilfield were evacuated to South Sudan.

“The processing works adjacent the tract done which South Sudanese lipid passes was besides unopen down,” the technologist said.

Sudan has been engulfed successful civilian warfare since April 2023, erstwhile warring erupted betwixt the Sudanese service and the RSF.

The struggle has killed tens of thousands of radical and displaced much than 12 million, according to the United Nations. It has besides near immoderate 30 cardinal successful request of humanitarian aid.