Just in: SSPDF and RSF neutralize tension in Heglig Oilfield amidst conflict in Sudan
21 December 2025 Heglig, Sudan (GPI/PEACE MEDIA) — In a rare show of unity in the war-torn Sudan, South Sudan’s People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of the Republic have managed to defuse brewing brinkmanship around what is considered a strategically important oilfield at Heglig, officials from both sides declare that Sunday. The episode, which was based on a brief misunderstanding, ended without further provocation in one of the most important energy hubs in the region.
The announcement comes following a mettlesome Summer of Ty Christopher on Heglig three weeks ago; when the RSF captured the oil field from Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) on December 8, who then reportedly withdrew forces southward into South Sudan. As part of a three-sided security pact mediated by South Sudan President Salva Kiir, the SSPDF sent forces to the area on December 10 with instructions to make it non-operational for combat and protect common-business interests.
A Misunderstanding Averted
The incident began when an RSF military vehicle drove past the oilfield on Saturday that is currently mainly protected by SSPDF units, said RSF commander Abdel-Hafeez al-Imam Qasoum. “We did not enter into a shooting fight with the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces,” he told reporters, adding that reports of clashes and deaths were “fake propaganda” spread by the SAF leadership in Port Sudan to undermine relations between RSF-South Sudan.
South Sudanese military sources repeated this version of events, and confirmed a minor misunderstanding that was immediately addressed via direct communication lines set up under the latest accord. The speedy conclusion highlights the pragmatic and delicate cooperation between the RSF and the SSPDF in guarding against a conflict that could escalate beyond Sudan’s Kordofan province.
Background: A Tripartite Deal to Ensure Shared Lifelines
The presence of the SSPDF in Heglig is part of an unusual deal that was struck earlier this month between President Kiir and SAF commander General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and with RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti). After the RSF seized control of the site, giving chase to SAF troops and taking their weapons in South Sudan, as per deal terms ISPPDF deployment was to follow in efforts to demilitarize the area with a partial withdrawal by RSF forces made in northern areas.
The contested border town of Heglig, which is in Kordofan west and on the Sudan-South Sudan border is home to oil production wells and processing installation and serves as a key stopover point along Greater Nile Oil Pipeline which is almost 1,600-kilometer long that connects South Sudan’s Unity state oil fields with Port Sudan on the Red Sea.
Economic Stakes and Regional Implications
Oil is still a lifeline for both countries. Sealed off while it’s been wracked by war since April 2023, Sudan needs the transit fees. The disruption at Heglig would be an echo of a 2012 shutdown amid border fighting that led to acute financial crises and more instability in an already precarious region.
Analysts observe that it showcases a mutual acknowledgement of these stakes even as Sudan’s conflict, which is the SAF versus the RSF, remains unresolved. The deal is a product of regional pressure from institutions like the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the African Union to protect vital facilities.
But the challenges remain: power struggles are fluid and previous attempts at demilitarization collapsed as frontlines moved. Recent drone attacks in the region, even those attributed to SAF have generated skepticism on whether neutrality is sustainable.
A Delicate Cease-Fire Amid a Wider Storm
While fighting goes on in other parts of Kordofan and beyond, the Heglig standoff is a flicker of realpolitik diplomacy born of economic reality. It also highlights the fragile nature of South Sudan’s diplomatic tight-rope walking, providing shelter for displaced SAF soldiers while engaging with the RSF to keep the oil flowing.
Stability at this vital flashpoint, though, has been maintained — for now — by quickly calming the situation after the latest flare-up.But outside observers caution that without broader peace efforts these tensions could bubble up again, challenging Sudan and South Sudan’s fragile economic interdependence.
— Reporting from Juba, South Sudan.
