SAF Breaks Dilling Siege for Third Time — Al-Takma Recaptured, Dilling–Kadugli Road Reopened

Sudan's Armed Forces broke the RSF-SPLM-N siege of Dilling, South Kordofan, for a third time in 2026 on approximately May 19–20, capturing the town of Al-Takma approximately 7 km east of Dilling — a contested strategic position that dominates the eastern approach to the city. The Dilling–Kadugli road was reopened as a result. This is the third time SAF has seized Al-Takma in 2026: the first was April 8, 2026 (breaking the March 28-29 RSF-SPLM-N siege), and the second was shortly after RSF-SPLM-N counterattacked to retake the town. Each siege break has been followed by RSF-SPLM-N counteroffensives that reimposed blockades; the pattern reflects the contested nature of South Kordofan's Nuba Mountains corridor. The May 2026 siege break was part of SAF's broader multi-front counteroffensive combining aerial strikes on Darfur capitals (the Nyala campaign), ground advances in Blue Nile (Khor Hassan recapture May 16), and logistical interdiction of RSF supply corridors (Wadi al-Atrun capture May 19, Gedaref border reinforcement May 8). Sudan's Security and Defence Council formally commended SAF for 'gains achieved in South Kordofan, Blue Nile, and Darfur' and ordered a crackdown on armed presence in cities. Dilling and Kadugli have endured famine-level food insecurity (IPC Phase 5 formally confirmed in Kadugli by WFP/FAO/UNICEF in May 2026); the reopening of the road carries immediate life-saving implications as the first supply convoys since January began arriving.