Face of the Truth: Bara… The Fall of the Masks
Ibrahim Shaglawi
In wars, the significance of battles is not measured by the number of cities that are recaptured, but by their ability to alter the balance of power and redraw the path toward the future. From this perspective, the recent developments in North Kordofan cannot be viewed merely as military advances; rather, they represent a strategic transformation that is reshaping the military and political landscape of our country in favor of peace and the restoration of security.
The recapture of Bara, Jabra Al-Sheikh, Umm Sayala, and Umm Garfa, along with securing the Export Road linking Omdurman and El Obeid, was not merely an advance on the battlefield; it redefined the strategic geography of the war. The conflict is no longer centered on controlling cities, but on controlling the keys to movement and supply lines that reshape the balance of power, give the state the strategic initiative, and bring closer the decisive battle to end the rebellion and restore control and sovereignty.
Throughout the war, North Kordofan has remained a region of exceptional importance due to its location linking central Sudan with its western regions, making it a strategic gateway to Darfur. Therefore, controlling this axis means reducing the Rapid Support Forces militia’s ability to maneuver and move, while creating greater room for the Sudanese Armed Forces and supporting forces to shift from a defensive posture to decisive offensive action.
More importantly, these operations have revealed a change in the management of the war. The simultaneous attacks on multiple fronts reflect the strategy of the new General Command, moving from reacting to events toward imposing a new operational rhythm on the battlefield by dispersing the enemy’s defenses and weakening its ability to maintain control and redeploy.
This transformation gains even greater significance in light of the indicators accompanying the latest phase of the war, including the weakening of the Rapid Support Forces’ battlefield cohesion, as well as the surrender and neutralization of several influential commanders of considerable weight. A rebel force does not lose its strength only when it loses territory, but when its command-and-control structure and capacity to seize the initiative begin to collapse.
From this perspective, the battle for North Kordofan is not merely about reclaiming territory, but about redefining the equation of the Sudanese state and determining who will impose the conditions of the next phase, in the face of internal and external actors that politically and militarily supported the rebellion while seeking to pressure the government and impose narratives contrary to the will of the Sudanese people.
El Obeid occupies a central place in this equation. The city, which endured months of continuous military pressure, now finds itself facing a new reality after the security of its strategic surroundings has been restored. This transformation eases the pressure on the Fifth Infantry Division “Al-Hagana,” which has fought one of the longest battles of resilience in defense of the city.
Likewise, the Export Road extending from El Obeid to Omdurman and then Port Sudan represents far more than a military corridor. It is an economic and humanitarian artery that restores the movement of transport and goods, facilitates the arrival of humanitarian organizations and medical teams, and gives citizens an opportunity to regain security and normal life.
However, the impact of this transformation will not stop at the battlefield; it will extend to politics and diplomacy. International voices that had focused on the risk of El Obeid falling and called for lifting its siege will now face a new reality that requires reassessing their calculations. As the balance of power changes, some external moves may shift from attempting to rescue the militia to influencing the shape of the coming political settlement.
This places Sudanese diplomacy before a new test. The task is no longer merely to defend the national narrative or the terms of surrender, but to possess a political initiative capable of safeguarding Sudan’s interests in the post-transformation phase.
The realities on the ground and the declared position of the state leadership indicate that the coming phase is not moving toward negotiations that reproduce the crisis, but toward a decisive outcome that compels the rebellion’s surrender and ends its existence. The scale of the violations committed by the militia, documented by local and international organizations and testimonies, has made the public mood in Sudan move beyond the idea of integrating it or granting it any political legitimacy. Accordingly, the real challenge after the war will not be sharing power, but building a peace founded on state sovereignty, the rule of law, and preventing the causes of war from recurring.
In this context, President Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan’s statements in Shambat on Friday, in which he affirmed the determination to end the existence of the Rapid Support Forces and prevent the recurrence of an experience that threatens state institutions, conveyed a political message that the battle is fundamentally not about the system of governance, but about the future of the state and its exclusive monopoly over the legitimate use of force.
Although the road to Darfur has become more accessible following the transformations in Kordofan, it remains an arena shaped by political, security, and regional calculations. The real wager remains the ability of the Sudanese people and their leadership to transform battlefield gains into lasting stability. Peace cannot be imposed by external powers; it is built by national will.
According to #Face_of_the_Truth, Bara brought down the masks—the masks of those who bet on the collapse of the Sudanese state, who believed that geography could be engineered by force, and that the national will could be broken through pressure and external coercion. Bara was not merely a battlefield victory, but a political moment that redrew the equation. True victory remains dependent on the state’s ability to transform the sacrifices and the blood of the martyrs into enduring sovereignty, strong institutions, and a peace that prevents the tragedy from recurring.
Wishing you continued health and well-being.
Tuesday, 28 July 2026Shglawi55@gmail.com
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