Sudan Rebel RSF Seizes Strategic Heglig Oilfield, Local Administration Deploys Protection Force

RSF elements pose at Heglig oilfield in West Kordofan, on Dec 8, 2025

December 8, 2025 (HEGLIG) – Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) took full control of the strategic Heglig oilfield in West Kordofan on Monday following a withdrawal by the Sudanese army, prompting local civilian authorities to deploy a special protection force.

Video footage released by the paramilitary group showed fighters inside the facility. Sources told Sudan Tribune that army troops had retreated across the border into South Sudan to prevent the oil installations from being destroyed in crossfire.

Operations at the field were halted late Sunday, and workers were evacuated to border points for transfer to Juba and Renk in South Sudan, the sources added.

The takeover further threatens Sudan’s collapsing energy sector. It comes days after a leaked letter revealed that the state-owned China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) had requested termination of its production-sharing agreement in the nearby Balila field (Block 6) due to “force majeure.”

Heglig is a critical energy hub, housing a central processing facility that handles 130,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil from South Sudan for export. Domestic production at the site had already plummeted from a pre-war level of 64,000 bpd to approximately 20,000 bpd due to the conflict.

The RSF’s advance follows its capture of the army’s 22nd Infantry Division in Babanusa earlier this month. The region has faced escalating violence, including a November 13 drone attack that killed three workers and damaged the central processing facility’s laboratory.

Civil Administration imposes security measures

Following the shift in control, Youssef Aliyan, head of the West Kordofan Civil Administration, announced that a specialized force had been established in coordination with RSF leadership to secure the oilfield.

Citing emergency laws and mandates from the Native Administration, Aliyan issued a decree banning unauthorized armed groups, private vehicles, and motorcycles from the site. He also ordered the removal of informal checkpoints and authorized the protection force to use “legitimate means” to enforce security, warning that violators would face legal action.

Aliyan further stated that his administration is coordinating on security and community peace with officials in South Sudan’s Unity State to maintain stability along the border.