South Sudan Confirms Entry of 1,710 Sudanese Soldiers After RSF Captures Heglig Oilfield
JUBA, December 11, 2025 – South Sudan’s government confirmed on Thursday that 1,710 soldiers from the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have crossed into its territory following the loss of the strategic Heglig oilfield to the rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The SAF personnel, comprising 1,650 non-commissioned officers and 60 officers, entered South Sudan’s Unity State after the RSF seized control of Heglig earlier this week. The oilfield, located near the border between Sudan’s West Kordofan state and South Sudan, is one of Sudan’s most critical oil installations, hosting approximately 75 wells and processing between 80,000 and 100,000 barrels of oil per day for both nations.
South Sudan’s Minister of Information and government spokesman, Ateny Wek Ateny, stated that the SAF unit, led by Brigadier Tariq Mokhtar, surrendered their weapons to the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) upon entry. “Plans are underway to return them safely to Sudan,” Ateny told reporters in Juba.
In response to the escalating conflict around the vital infrastructure, South Sudan has brokered a tripartite security agreement between the SSPDF, SAF, and RSF. Under the deal, the SSPDF has assumed full responsibility for securing the Heglig oil zone. RSF fighters have reportedly pulled back to the northern part of the oilfield.
“They have to leave the oil field. Of course, the contest has been going on around the oil field simply because each party in the conflict wanted to control it,” Ateny emphasised.
He clarified South Sudan’s neutral mediating role, stating, “Our forces are friendly to both parties in the war in Sudan. They are not taking sides in the fight. We are the ones mediating between the two.” He added that President Salva Kiir, who serves as the guarantor of the new agreement, contacted both Sudanese factions to de-escalate the situation and prevent fighting that could damage the oil infrastructure.
Ateny confirmed that the oilfield’s infrastructure remains intact and operational, with no major damage reported to halt production. The Heglig area is a crucial node on the 1,600-kilometre Greater Nile Oil Pipeline, which transports crude from South Sudan’s Unity oilfield to Port Sudan for export. The RSF’s capture of the site deals a significant blow to the Sudanese government in Port Sudan, which relies on revenue from the transit of South Sudanese oil.
The tensions in the area turned deadly on Tuesday, as the SSPDF reported that a drone strike by Sudanese forces killed seven South Sudanese soldiers stationed at the Heglig oilfield.
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