SAF Retakes Al-Hamadi (South Kordofan) and Clears Southern Omdurman Neighborhoods in Dual-Front Advance

Sudan's Armed Forces conducted coordinated territorial advances on two fronts on May 13, 2026 — Day 1124 of the civil war. In South Kordofan, SAF ground forces retook Al-Hamadi, an administrative hub for the Hawazma tribe in the central South Kordofan theater, continuing SAF's sustained westward push through the contested corridor linking RSF-held Darfur to the Kordofan battlespace. Simultaneously in Omdurman, SAF forces cleared the Al-Jami'a neighborhood and fully secured Al-Shaqla neighborhood in southern Omdurman, eliminating RSF pockets that had persisted in the metro area's southern fringe despite SAF's broader recapture of Khartoum, Omdurman, and Bahri since early 2025. The dual advance follows a cluster of SAF gains in the preceding days: the 4th Infantry Division retook Al-Kayli in Blue Nile State (May 10), SAF cleared Al-Khiwai in West Kordofan (May 11), and two consecutive days of drone strikes on Nyala culminated in the downing of an RSF Bayraktar Akıncı UCAV (May 11). Taken together, analysts at Asharq Al-Awsat assessed that three senior RSF defections since March — including Brigadier General El Safana on May 11 — and the concurrent territorial losses may mark the beginning of 'the breakup phase' of the RSF. RSF Commander Hemedti has claimed a force of 450,000 and declared willingness to fight until 2040; however, the convergence of battlefield setbacks and internal defections constitutes a significant morale and cohesion challenge. RSF retains control of all five Darfur state capitals and large portions of South Kordofan and West Kordofan.